Now It Is
by TStabler
Summary: There are two things that make an affair what it is: sex and love. Olivia refuses to be Elliot's affair. What happens when Elliot does it anyway? E/O the tailend of E/K and lots of love and angst and humor and goodness.
1. The Affair Is Now

**A/N: Totally different from my norm. My first Affair!Fic, but it won't stay one for **_**too **_**long. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

She woke up with a pounding headache. The light coming in from the window, although it was only the moon and a few neon signs, was intensely bright and hurt her eyes. She didn't know what hell she had to drink last night and she was quite sure she didn't want to know. It was only when she tried to move that the ripping pain in her lower abs began to throb and she yelped. She had sex last night. A lot of it. And it was phenomenal. That's when she felt the man beside her move, heard him moan, and felt his hand snake around her waist and up her body. "You okay?" he whispered, laying a kiss on her neck.

"Uh, yeah. I just, um...have a headache," she said, refusing to turn around. If she didn't look at him then it didn't happen. If she didn't acknowledge his presence, then he wasn't really there. If she didn't enjoy the feeling of being in his arms, then maybe, just maybe she didn't become the two things she refused to become. The two things she promised, she swore, she never would: her mother, and the other woman. She took a deep breath and remembered that two things _made_ an affair an _affair_, and if you left _one_ of those things out, then it wasn't _really_ an affair. They were not having an affair. So far, they were just having sex. Incredible, earth-shattering, mind-blowing sex.

"A headache," he said. "Come here." He sat up and pulled her back, so she was lying on top of him, and he ran his hands up to her temples and rubbed, slowly, in little circles. "You knocked back a few last night, baby."

Baby? Okay, sure, they flirted, a lot, over the past eight years. They made out a little on Thursday nights, every Thursday night for the last six months, when he came over with Chinese food and a movie, and fine, they had a ton of really great sex last night, but did that merit him calling her 'baby'? She tried to open her mouth and actually voice these concerns, but all that came out was a very satisfied moan, and then she mentally called herself a dumbass.

"Feel good?" he asked.

She nodded, finding herself relaxing into him, her body seeming to conform around his. They were officially snuggling. Since when do they snuggle? "El?" She congratulated herself on forming a word.

"Yeah, baby?" he replied, still rubbing away her headache.

She rolled over and, against her better judgment, allowed herself to be cuddled with as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tighter to him. The words were about to fly out of her mouth, she was going to say three tiny words that would make this a _real_ affair, but she changed her mind. She decided on a much more cheerful, "You're wife's gonna fucking kill you."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "At least I'll die happy."

* * *

They planned it perfectly. He arrived ten minutes before she did. She came in with the coffee. It was business as usual. No one suspected a damn thing. Until Munch opened his mouth.

"Um, that's a pretty interesting hickey, Benson. What is that, a heart?" Munch said, turning his head to the side. "Why is it upside down?"

Her hand shot up to her neck and she pulled the collar of her shirt up and took her hair out of the clip it had been in. "Uh, what?"

"Leave the girl alone, Munch. She's young, hot and entitled to a life. I'm surprised she's even single," Fin said. "Must be some guy, Baby-Girl. He ever hurts you, you know you got three cops who are gonna kick his ass."

"Thanks, Fin." She smiled. "But, it's _two_," she said softly as she sat in her chair. Elliot looked at her with a furrowed brow, unsure of what she meant by that. She caught his eyes and looked away, hoping the flicker of heartache wasn't noticeable. "Can't kick your own ass, El," she said, so only he could hear her. He chuckled, but wasn't sure if she meant he was hurting her.

"Liv," he began, but he was interrupted by Cragen's voice. "Benson, Munch, we got a one-thirty in progress, Fifty-First and Ninth. Run. Stabler, your wife is here and she's pissed."

Olivia and Munch ran out of the bullpen, right past Kathy who glared at Olivia. Elliot walked over to her and tried to smile. "Kathy, what, uh, what are you doing here?"

"You didn't come home last night," she said, shouting in a whisper. "I called here, all night, and no one answered. You wouldn't pick up your cell. You were with _her_ weren't you?"

"Jesus, Kathy," he squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "We were working on a case. Going over files. We have to testify in two days." It was the truth. That's what they were doing. Until he had the sudden urge to strip her naked and fuck her senseless. If you asked him, he'd tell you it was the best decision he ever made.

"Why didn't you call? Or come home when you were done, huh?" She crossed her arms, tapped her foot and narrowed her eyes. She looked like his mother. That was why he hated her.

"Kathy, I didn't call because we were busy, and then I didn't want to wake you up. I didn't come home, because by the time we got through half of the files it was close to four in the fucking morning." Or, by the time they were finished fucking for the fourth time it was close to the morning. Anyway, all the right words were there.

Kathy rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Elliot. I expect you home at a decent hour tonight. The couch needs you to keep it warm," she snapped as she turned on her heels and stormed out.

He stepped back into the bullpen in time to hear Cragen yell. "No, Fin, I'm going. You stay here. Field calls. Elliot! Let's go," he barked.

"Go where?" he asked as he grabbed his jacket.

"Mercy General. We're meeting Munch there," Cragen spat as they ran toward his car.

Elliot got in the passenger seat and snapped his seatbelt over his chest. "We got a new vic? Is Liv riding with them?"

Cragen sighed as he put the car into drive and peeled out. "No, Elliot. Olivia's been shot." Elliot stopped thinking, he stopped listening, he stopped breathing. He felt like he was dying.

* * *

Elliot ran into the Emergency Room and scanned the area. When he found the person he was looking for he pounced. "What the hell, man? You were supposed to protect her! What the hell were you doing?" he yelled, grabbing Munch by the collar.

Cragen pulled Elliot off of Munch and forced him to take a deep breath."Elliot, calm down."

"What happened, Munch?" he yelled from behind Cragen.

"Jesus, Stabler," Munch yelled. "I don't know, damn it. I was the one the guy was aiming at, I had my gun on him, but I froze. Olivia shot him, twice, but on his way down, he moved and pulled the trigger," he said. "He shot her. I don't know what happened."

"Excuse me, have any of you heard anything yet? About Olivia?" They all looked at the man who had approached them as if he was crazy. "I mean, I'm concerned."

Elliot scoffed. "Trevor, why do you care. You know nobody in this unit can stand you."

"Well, Olivia and I were supposed to go to dinner and a show tonight, so I think she can. I do care about her and I would like to find out how she is," the usually cocky lawyer declared. Elliot's heart broke in two. He was about to punch the smug son of a bitch when they heard a door creak behind them.

The doctor came out of the double doors and yelled, "Benson? Family of Olivia Benson?"

Cragen looked at Elliot. "You go. You're listed as her next of kin." Elliot ran over to the doctor and tried to hide his nerves. "Yeah? Is she okay?"

"I think she'll be just fine. Did she hit her head?" The doctor asked.

Elliot looked back at Munch. "Yo, Munch, did Liv hit her head?"

"Not hard, no," Munch said with a shrug. Elliot looked back at the doctor. "Why?" he asked.

"Well, she's very angry and she tried to bite one of the orderlies," the doctor said scratching his head.

Elliot laughed. "No, she's fine. She just hates hospitals. Can I see her?" The doctor nodded and he led Elliot through the doors to Olivia's curtained off section. "Liv?" She turned her head and her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Hey," she said.

He ran to her and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry, baby. _I _should have been there. _I'm_ your partner," he said, stroking her hair. "If Kathy hadn't..."

"El, don't. He had a gun, I shot him, he pulled the trigger when he fell, I got a hard hit to the shoulder. I'm fine. Doctor said it's barely a flesh wound." She looked up and smirked. "Quit calling me 'baby'."

"No, Liv. You're my baby," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She laughed. "I am?"

"Yes. I've _thought _of you as my baby for about eight years. You _have_ been my baby for six months, a week and three days. You _became _a hell of a lot _more _than just my baby last night," he said, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "Hey, why the hell were you going out with Langan tonight?"

She looked at him, both eyebrows raised and her jaw almost on the floor. "Um, he asked me out, El. Two weeks ago."

Elliot looked very surprised by her reason. "But, it's _Langan_, Liv. You _hate _him. And, like I said, you're mine. I don't want you going out with him, or anyone else for that matter."

Olivia narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. "So, you can be _married_ but I can't go on a _date_?"

Elliot hung his head. "Liv, I was married before we even met, and before we started...whatever this is, and I need to..."

She interrupted him. "What, exactly, _is_ this Elliot, now that you've brought it up? Because, this _isn't_ an affair. There's _one_ thing keeping this from _being_ an affair, and damn it, El, I _refuse_ to be your _affair_."

"I don't know _what_ this is, Liv. But, I know that as soon as I'm sure I can do so without jeopardizing my chances of getting the kids, I'm leaving Kathy. And I know," he stopped, he took a deep breath and he looked into her eyes. "I know that I'm in love with you."

"Fuck," she cried, slamming her head back into her pillow.

Elliot squeezed her hand. "What, Liv? Don't you....you don't love me?"

"Elliot, you ass," she spat. She looked at him and smirked. "Of_ course_, I love you. I'm fucking in love with you." She squeezed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "_Now_, it's an affair."

**A/N: Hmm....what do you think?  
**


	2. The Bed Is Now

**A/N: So, now that it's an affair...how torrid can it get?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Elliot walked into his house and hung his coat on the rack. He turned and was stunned to find Kathy, in a silk nightgown and robe, sprawled on the couch. He hung his head, shook it and shrugged his shoulders. "Kathy, what the hell are you doing?"

"None of the kids are home, Elliot," she said, attempting to sound seductive.

"Smart kids," he muttered. "What are you doing?" he asked again.

Kathy stood and walked over to him. "Trying to make love to my husband, who hasn't _touched_ me in _months_." She saw the downcast look in his eyes and grew concerned. "What's wrong, Elliot?"

"Someone shot Liv," he said as he narrowed his eyes.

Kathy tried to hide the smirk, but he saw it. "Oh. Is she okay?"

"Wipe the grin off your face, Kathy. She's fine, thank God. How dare you even...you're happy, what if she'd been seriously hurt? Killed? Would you throw a fucking party?" Elliot stormed into the kitchen and grabbed a beer, then he ran up the stairs. Kathy followed him.

"Elliot, I wasn't _happy_, I just think it's kind of _funny._ She got _shot,_ she's always the one you hail as the _best_ cop you've ever met and you always say she's _sooo_ bad-ass," Kathy barked, walking into the bedroom. "What are you doing?"

Elliot was throwing clothes into a duffle bag. "She shot the bastard _twice,_ and he pulled the trigger out of _reflex_ as his body hit the _floor_. She_ is_ the best cop I've ever worked with and I am packing an overnight bag. I'm going back to the hospital."

"She's a big girl, Elliot," Kathy said as she sauntered over to him. She slung an arm around his shoulders and said, "She can take care of herself. We have the house all to ourselves, all night." She ran the hand that had been on his shoulders down the front of his chest, down his waist, and then she stroked his length, cupping him. He didn't respond. At all.

"Kathy," he threw her off of him. "Look, Liv doesn't have any family and..."

"Well, it sucks to be her, Elliot, _you_ have a family _and_ a wife. _She _doesn't fit in here," Kathy yelled.

Elliot blew his top. He yelled through gritted teeth. "She is my best friend, Kathy. My partner. She might not be _your_ family but she's _mine_. I love her and I'm going to be there for her," he said, throwing the bag over his shoulder. "She needs me."

Kathy pulled him back toward her by his shirt collar. "Elliot, if you leave you'll be spending the rest of your life on..."

"The couch," he finished for her. "Liv's is much more comfortable." He smirked as her eyes widened. "Bye, Kathy. Oh," he paused and looked back at her. "Say hi to Craig for me, huh?" He chuckled when Kathy's jaw dropped and as her hand shot to her mouth he bolted down the stairs and out the door.

* * *

He walked into her room, they'd given her a room, and found her awake and grumbling poking at the food in front of her with the end of her fork. "I think it's dead, baby."

She looked up and smiled. "It's dead and _moldy_, actually. They can't expect me to eat..." she grinned as he handed her a carton of chicken and broccoli and two chopsticks. "I love you."

"I know. I love you, too, Liv." He bent over and kissed her, licking her lips as they pulled apart. It only left her wanting more. "Kathy flipped out when I told her I was coming back here."

"Did you expect her to give you a medal of honor?" Olivia asked, happily eating the real food her lover had brought her.

Elliot laughed. "No, but she, uh, tried to seduce me tonight. Dressed in little red silky thing," he said, stealing a piece of her chicken.

Olivia jabbed his hand with her chopstick. "Are you trying to get me mad enough to make sure _you_ get the bed in the _next_ _room_?"

"No," Elliot said with a chuckle as he rubbed his hand. "I would like to tell you that I thoroughly pissed her off, by not only turning her away, but I think I may have told her I love you and complimented your taste in furniture." He moved her hands, which were holding a piece of broccoli between the chopsticks, toward his mouth and ate her green veggie.

"You mother fucker. Get your own food," she said as she laughed. "Wait, you complimented my taste in furniture?"

Elliot grinned, then pulled out a carton of lo mien and two egg rolls from his bag. "I was pretty pissed off when I left, Liv. I think I said something about your couch being more comfortable than mine."

"At least you didn't say anything about my bed," she snarked, stealing a noodle out of his carton.

"Yo, Baby-Girl!" Fin came in carrying a teddy bear, followed by Casey, Munch, Alex, Cragen and Trevor Langan. "We come bearin' gifts. No pun intended."

She looked at the teddy bear, showed it to Elliot then looked back up at Fin. "It's a boy? Really? Wow, El, you are one _fertile_ man. Didn't even have to touch me, just share my chopsticks and I get a baby," she said chuckling. They shared a furtive glance, their eyes twinkling and small smirks that held so much emotion playing at their lips.

"Hey, the gift shop doesn't sell teddy bears that say 'Sorry Munch got you shot," Fin quipped.

Trevor stepped forward and handed her a bouquet of flowers, saying, "I'm sorry we're missing dinner, but I'm very thankful you're okay." Her eyes widened. "Are those lilacs?" she asked.

Elliot immediately took them away from her, but the damage had been done. She started sneezing and her eyes began to water. "She's allergic to lilacs, Langan," Elliot said as he got the offending florals out of the room and into a trash can down the hall.

"Oh, my God. I didn't know. I'm sorry, Liv," Trevor cried.

"It's okay," she said. She sneezed. "They were very," she paused to sneeze. "Pretty."

"Benson," Munch started. "I am so..."

"Stop. This is not your fault," she sneezed. "I'm fine, really. I don't even know why I'm still here."

Cragen spoke up. "I _asked_ them to keep you. You know that if your injuries are serious enough to cause you to stay overnight, then the guy gets charged with battery." The group laughed as Olivia sneezed.

Elliot came back in and took his seat, next to Liv's bed, and no one questioned it. They did, however, raise a few eyebrows when he handed her a box of tissues, a bottle of orange juice and two little pink pills in a plastic cup. "Here, honey. I had to flash my badge to get the damn nurse to give me fucking Benadryl," Elliot said. "They didn't have non-drowsy, but you'll fight sleep anyway."

"Thanks," she said with a sneeze. She blew her nose, then grabbed the juice, which Elliot had opened for her, and took the pills.

"Did we miss the wedding?" Casey asked.

Elliot chuckled. "What?"

"What you just did there, the nurturing thing, that's definitely a couple thing," Alex said. "Not that I would know, seeing as how whenever _I'm_ sick my significant other blames government issue peanut butter and hypnotic soundwaves." She glared at Munch. "Look, honey. _Orange juice_ and _tissues_."

Olivia blew her nose again. "First, I'm not sick, I had an allergy attack." She sneezed. Elliot handed her another tissue and without hesitation took the used one out of her hands. "Second, we _are not_ a couple we just _know_ each other _very _well, and _care_ about each other. _Partners _are," she paused and sneezed, "S_upposed_ to. Third, Alex since when _the fuck_ are you with _Munch_?"

Alex's eyes widened. "Oh, I just let a pretty big cat out of the bag, didn't I?"

"Yeah, ya did." Munch shook his head at her. "Good job."

They spent a few more minutes chatting, and Trevor apologized again for causing Olivia's allergic reaction, then everyone but Elliot filed out of the room. She looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Alex and Munch? That makes about as much sense as...nothing. That just plain does not make sense." Elliot laughed and told Olivia to scoot over. She did and was flummoxed when Elliot got into her bed with her. "This bed was not made for two people, El."

"Well, baby. Now it is." He kissed her, wrapped his arms around her and snuggled close to her. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you again, Liv."

She looked up at him and smirked. "I told you this wasn't your.."

"I know. It has been before. But, when Cragen said you'd been shot, and I _wasn't _there, my world crashed down around me and I felt numb. I almost _killed_ Munch, Liv. I was _terrified_. I couldn't breath until I found out you were okay. I'm promising you, right now, you're never gonna be in a hospital bed again, unless you're giving birth. To _my _kids, _not_ Trevor's." He kissed her, passionately, and as he pulled away he said, "I love you." She responded in kind, and they drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

She was discharged in the morning, but Cragen told her to take the day off to "heal" even though there was nothing wrong with her. She missed Elliot the minute they parted. With her out of work, there was no excuse for him to drive her home, come up, make sweet love to her, and sleep in her arms. He had swung by her apartment to drop off a "care-package" he and the kids put together during a break in the afternoon, they shared a few stolen kisses, but she hadn't seen him since. It was only one night apart, but it felt like a year. Olivia Benson had fallen in love, hopelessly, with a married father. Shit.

* * *

"Yo, Baby-Girl," Fin yelled as Olivia walked into the squadroom. "How's the arm?"

"Aw, Fin, you know I'd only need _one_ to take you down," she quipped. "But, it's fine. Two stitches and a Hello Kitty band-aid. Good as new." She plopped a cup of coffee on Elliot's desk and sat in hers, sipping her own steaming beverage.

"Hello Kitty?" Munch asked, questioning her choice of bandage.

Olivia laughed. "Elliot's daughter, Lizzie, picked them out for me. She said I would confuse the perps. They'd think, 'A pretty girl with a Hello Kitty band-aid? She's cute, she can't hurt me'. Then down they go."

"Lizzie's always been brilliant," Elliot said, winking at Olivia.

Olivia winked back, then noticed Elliot rolling his neck and shoulders. "Sleep on the couch?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "Yours really is more comfortable." He looked up at her and he flushed. He didn't know why or how, but he knew when. The minute they met, the moment they shook hands eight years ago, he had fallen irrevocably in love with another woman. He smiled at Olivia, and tried to imagine how she was going to react to what he was going to tell her when he brought the tacos to her place tonight. She smiled back, oblivious.

**A/N: What could be so important that it needs to be told over tacos? Reviews?**


	3. It's Clear Now

**A/N: Taco night. Elliot drops a couple of bombshells and Trevor doesn't get it, until Elliot makes him. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"Okay, have we gone over physical evidence?" Olivia asked rubbing her eyes.

Elliot chuckled. "Three times, baby. Put the files down and eat."

"We have to testify _tomorrow_, El. I wanna make sure we don't give the defense _any_ reason to doubt our testimonies, or the bastard's confession." Olivia was about to pick up another file but Elliot grabbed the pile of them and tossed them on the chair across the room. He crawled over her body and started kissing her neck, licking and biting her pulse. "Jesus," she moaned.

Elliot laughed, kissing across her collar bone, pulling her shirt down with his right hand to reveal just a bit of cleavage, then kissing the newly exposed skin there, too. "Finding your faith, huh, Benson?"

"God, El, I thought you wanted me to stop reading so I could _eat_," she whispered through ragged breaths, running her hand through his hair.

"Well, I found a _better_ way to keep your mouth occupied." He crashed his lips against hers, massaging her tongue with his, and she felt him harden, instantly, through his jeans. She bucked her hips against him, making him groan into her mouth, and she smirked against his lips. He tore his mouth away from hers, suddenly remembering that he had something terribly important to tell her, and he didn't want to just blurt it out while he came. That would be very insensitive of him.

"Don't start something you don't intend to finish, Stabler," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow at him, wondering why he'd moved away from her.

Elliot smirked. "Oh, I _will_ finish this. I have every intention of finishing this," he said wagging his finger at her. "But, the tacos are getting cold and, uh, we need to, um, talk."

Olivia's heart dropped. No conversation that started with "We need to talk" ended well. "Oh, God," she said, dropping her head into her hands. "Ya know, El, I just lost my appetite so, just talk."

Elliot took a deep breath and scooted closer to Olivia. "Okay," he said. He was clearly nervous. "I don't know how to say this," he began.

"Christ, Elliot, it's not like I wasn't expecting this, just say it." She was thinking the worst, but it was not as bad as what actually came out of his mouth.

Confused, because he had no idea how she could be expecting _this_, he said, "Um, Liv, Kathy's pregnant."

Her eyes widened and she leaped off the couch. "What? Fucking hell, Elliot! How? Are you kidding?" she yelled.

"Liv, wait, it's not.."

"Oh, my God! I am a fucking idiot! This is what happens when you get involved with a married man. I don't know how I let this happen. So, what, all that crap about you not loving her, _not touching_ her at all since _we_ got involved was that just _complete_ shit?" She looked at him, tears threatening to fall. "Was _this_, you and me, really just an _affair_ to you?"

Elliot jumped up and wrapped an arm around her to calm her down but she, quite painfully, threw him off of her. "Don't you dare fucking touch me, right now," she spat.

"Liv, damn it, it's not mine!" He yelled, rubbing his shoulder where she'd hit him.

She stopped, dead in her tracks, and looked blankly at him. "What?"

"Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you before you flipped the fuck out. Liv, I would never betray you like that. You really thought I would?"

"You did it to _her_," she said with a shrug.

"Low blow," Elliot said as he took two steps toward her, grabbed both of her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Exactly. To _her_. _For_ you. _You_, Liv. I have _never _felt the way I feel about _you _before, about anyone, baby. I never _loved_ Kathy. Not like _this,_ and I would never do _anything_ to _hurt_ you. You were _never _an _affair_ to me, Liv." He pulled her close to him and she squeezed him, in relief. "I thought that was pretty damn clear."

She sighed and rubbed his back. "Well, it is now," she said with a small, schocked scoff. "I _do _know that, El. I'm sorry. I panicked. I just can't stand the thought of losing you," Olivia said. "Especially not now." She furrowed her brow and pressed a kiss to his neck. "If it's not yours then whose baby _is_ it?"

"She's been sleeping with our dentist for _months_. That's why she was trying so hard to get _me_ to sleep with her," he said pulling back from their embrace. "So she could convince me it _was _mine before I found out. She didn't know I _already_ knew." Elliot ran his hands from Olivia's back to her hands and squeezed. "I was _trying_ to tell you that, since she's pregnant with another man's child, it's grounds for dissolution of marriage. Her affair was started and consummated eight months ago, before ours, so the fault lands squarely on her."

Cocking her eyebrow, trying not to smile, she asked, "Are you saying what I _think_ you're saying?"

He nodded, not hiding his smile at all. "I filed for divorce. That's why I didn't come here last night. We were telling the kids." He tugged her hands, gently pulling her back toward the couch. "They're taking it pretty badly, but they hate _her_ more than they hate me. They blame her. She can't deny her affair. See, as shitty as this sounds, baby, we got away with it. No one can prove a damn thing. She's carrying the man's kid. That's some hard evidence right there."

Olivia nodded. "I knew this would come with a _lot_ of lying and deceit, but lying to your _wife_ and a _divorce_ lawyer's a _cakewalk_ compared to what we need to do to Cragen, IAB and the _rest_ of the world." She sat on the couch, slumped over and her head fell back into her hands.

"Hey, baby," he cooed into her ear as he ran a hand down her back. "We're not really _lying_. We're just not telling anyone and denying a few things here and there." He chuckled as she smirked, and leaned into her, but the ringing of her cell phone interrupted what would have been a nice kiss.

"Benson," she spoke. "Oh, hey Trevor. No, I can't tonight. I'm, uh, going over files for tomorrow," she said. "You should be, too. That sounds nice, Trevor, but it took _a week_ to plan _one_ dinner, I don't know. A lawyer and a detective can't...I _will_ think about it. Bye." She hung up and looked at Elliot, who was looking at her with a shit-eating grin and a hint of hurt and jealousy in his eyes. "_That_ was _lying_, Elliot."

"He's a _lawyer_. He gets _paid _to lie. Besides, we _did_ go over the files," he pulled her closer to him and kissed her, taking her breath away. "You're _not_ going out with him, Liv," he said, trailing kisses back down her neck and chest. "You're _mine,_" he said as he lifted her shirt over her head. "And when the divorce is finalized, and I get my kids, then we will sit Cragen down and have a nice little chat about how IAB can go suck it," he mumbled, kissing her chest and tight stomach. "They're just gonna have to deal with us being together." He was about to unzip her pants when her cell phone rang again.

"Fucking hell," she breathed. She flipped open her phone. "Benson. You're where? What?" She threw Elliot off of her, he landed on the floor with a thud, and searched frantically for what he did with her shirt. "No, that's a very romantic gesture, but you really don't have to..." there was a knock on the door and Olivia froze. "Is that you?" she said into her phone.

"Yeah," a low, male voice yelled through the door.

"Hold on," she spat, shutting the phone and finally finding her shirt on a shelf across the room and pulling it on. "Elliot," she whispered. "It's Trevor. He brought tacos!"

Elliot's eyes glazed over, and he narrowed them as he stood up. He planted himself right the door as Olivia opened it. "Hey, Olivia. I thought we could eat and go over the files together. Be _spontaneous_. Planning _clearly_ doesn't work for us," Trevor said. Then, Elliot stepped out from his hiding spot and waved. "Oh, uh, you didn't tell me _Elliot_ was here."

"Trevor, I told you I was going over files, I _assumed_ you'd know I'd be doing that with my _partner_. And, aren't you not _allowed _to talk about the _case _with me? You're the _defense_ attorney," she babbled, trying to hide the fact that Elliot's rock hard erection was pressed against her ass and she was aching to get him in her bedroom so he could stick it somewhere _else_.

Trevor simpered. "We don't have to talk about it," he said pushing his way inside. "Unless, of course, you _want_ to. The_ both_ of you."

Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh, my God. Trevor get _out._ You had no intention of coming over here until you heard me say I was prepping for _trial,_" she smirked. "And you wanted to use a_ date_ to get information that you could use _against_ me?"

"No, Olivia. I really did just want to be with you," he said. As he sat down and picked up a file, he shrugged. "If you _happened_ to make my case for me while we were _chatting_, well, that'd just be a bonus."

Elliot walked over and picked Trevor up by his collar. "Langan, look. She was trying to let you down easy. She's not interested in you. She doesn't even _like_ you. She was only going out with _you_ to make _another_ guy jealous."

"That...that's not true," Trevor stuttered. "Is it?" he asked, looking toward Olivia.

She nodded, trying to suppress the laugh that was begging to escape. "It worked. Thanks. Trevor, you, uh, you should go." Elliot dragged the lawyer to the door. Olivia opened it, and said, "Oh, and Judge Donnelly will hear about your little attempt to tamper with witnesses and evidence."

The door was slammed in Trevor's face so fast that they didn't hear him babble and bag for them not to tell the judge. "When did you figure out I was only using him to make you jealous?" Olivia asked.

"The second he told me you agreed to go out with him," Elliot quipped. Then he scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom. "And yeah, it _did_ work."

"What are you doing?" she asked, wide eyed as he threw her on the bed.

Pulling his shirt over his head, he replied, "Finishing what I started."

**A/N: Trevor's a snake! Review!! The next chapter's done and waiting for you to tell me you want it! **


	4. We're Drenched Now

**A/N: Trevor's method's almost get him disbarred, Kathy makes a last ditch effort to keep Elliot and what forces Olivia to sleep in the cribs? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"Detective Benson," Langan began, "How long have you and Detective Stabler been partners?"

"Eight years," she said. "What does that have to with.."

"And is your relationship _typical_ of a partnership?" Trevor asked with a smirk.

Olivia's eyes narrowed. "What, exactly, do you mean?"

"Well, do partners usually bring each other food in the middle of the night, know each others allergies and favorite things, immediately run to get them orange juice and tissues when they start sniffling a little," he listed. "Do partners usually go over their cases _together_ in _rumpled_ clothes in their apartments, and_ share_ hospital beds when one of them has been shot?"

"What the hell are you implying and what does it have to with this case?" Olivia almost yelled.

"I'm _implying_ that there is _more_ than just a partnership between you and Detective Stabler and _if that's_ the case, than both testimonies have to be _thrown out_ because your credibility is _shot_. You'll back each other up out of bias."

"That is absurd, Langan!" Olivia yelled. "Are you doing this because I rejected you? You know that's completely ridiculous!"

Donnelly agreed. "I'm not one to look away from a good catfight, but I _know _these detectives, Mr. Langan. They've got an _incredible_ record and they're relationship is _nothing_ but professional _while_ at _work._ They _are_ close friends, as partners _should_ be. You're _reaching_ and trying to _discredit_ them in the most horrific and _reprehensible_ way. First, the detectives' personal lives are _not_ on trial here and shouldn't have even been mentioned, even if there _is _something going on between them. Second, do you have _any_ idea of the damage even _suggesting_ something like that could_ cause_ these two _stellar _detectives? Langan, you'll be in my chambers at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. This court is in recess until the defense can come up with a _valid _rebuttal that's not based on a personal vendetta. Detectives Benson and Stabler told me you tried to get them to talk about the case and how you _used_ Detective Benson, under the guise of a _romantic evening_, for your own benefit. You're lucky I don't find your client _guilty_ here and now for you slanderous and malicious _attack_, Lagan." She hit her gavel against the bench and rose, storming out of the courtroom.

Olivia exhaled sharply and stormed out of the witness stand. She sent Trevor a vile look that made him pale and for a moment, he was very scared. She grabbed her jacket and blew past Elliot, marching out of the courtroom without even meeting his eyes.

* * *

"Are you done packing, yet? he asked Kathy as he stepped into the kitchen to grab a beer.

Kathy, blinking and smirking, stepped up to him. "Look, Elliot, I don't have to _have_ this baby. I will tell Craig I never want to see him again. I can stay," she said in a sweet-voiced whisper.

"We're Catholic. I couldn't even _look_ at you if you had an abortion. You tell Craig that you'll be at his place as _soon _as possible. You _can't_ stay," Elliot said, refuting every statement in a not-so-sweet voice.

"Elliot, I only started this thing with Craig because I _wasn't_ getting _any _attention from _you_. You were _never_ home, and you spent _all _of your time with _her_ even when you _weren't_ working," Kathy said.

"Okay, her _name_ is Olivia, and don't try to make _you're _affair _my_ fault. If this marriage was _anything_ more than a marriage of _convenience_, than I'd _want_ to be home with you, right? Kathy, this was over_ long_ ago. We both tried to stay together for the kids, but neither one of us was very happy. We both ran to other people. Clearly, _you_ ran farther and faster," he said, pointing to her swollen belly.

"You really want this? Me gone? A divorce?" Kathy's eyelids half-closed and she folded her arms.

"Yes. So do you. You're only gonna miss the _thrill _of being the wife of a cop. You're not gonna miss _me_," Elliot said as he guzzled back his beer.

"But, you just said that we're Catholic. Divorce is like a black mark on your record with God," Kathy said trying to convince him to stay with her.

Elliot drank the last sip of his beer and tossed the bottle away. "So is _adultery_, Kathy. We're sinners, but God will forgive _me_ if this is all serving the purpose of finding true _happiness_ for _myself_ and those _around _me. This is for the best." Elliot walked back into the living room and picked up a duffle bag. "I'm spending the night at work so you can pack. You should be out by tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Kathy said with a shrug. "I'll call Craig to come get boxes."

* * *

He walked up to Olivia's door and heard shouting and banging. He pulled out his gun, panicking, and kicked her door open. Then, he laughed hysterically. Olivia was hitting her kitchen sink with a wrench as it spewed and sputtered water all over her and the rest of her kitchen. "Mother fucker, just turn the hell off!"

"Liv, baby, what happened?" he asked, still laughing, as he closed the door and walked over, hands up, defending his face from the spray.

"I don't know! I turned the water on to wash the dishes and I got fucking Old Faithful erupting in my face!" she yelled, smacking the faucet with the wrench to emphasize her anger.

He snickered and tried to turn the knobs, which were loose and not doing much good. "Well, I don't think killing it is gonna help! Did you call your landlord?"

"_Three times_. He told me to enjoy the shower while he ate dinner." She threw the wrench into the sink and ran a hand through her soaking wet hair. Elliot looked at her, then, and every nerve in his body lit on fire. She was soaked, sopping, really, and she was pissed off. The water had made the fabric of her clothes slick and cling to her like a second layer of skin. Every curve, every dimple, every defined muscle was visible. Combined with the expression on her face, Elliot had a problem.

"Jesus Christ, Liv," he spat. He pulled her toward him, kissed her passionately and peeled off her very wet tank top.

"Elliot, what the hell?" she asked breathlessly as he tugged down her sponge-like sweatpants and attacked her neck. "Is this really, holy hell, that feels so good."

Mumbling into her neck as he ripped off her soaked and useless panties, he said, "You look fucking incredible when your wet and angry."

"Oh, well, I'll try to remember that and get pissed when I take my morning showers," she said, running her hands through his hair, which was getting just as wet at hers.

"Only if I'm taking them _with_ you," he laughed. He moved his lips from the crook of her neck to a perky nipple, taking it between his teeth through the soaked silk. She threw her head back and the excess water from her hair splashed onto her cabinets. "Oh, God, El," she cried. He smiled, keeping her nipple in his mouth. He wriggled out of his now-wet jeans and sheathed himself into her in one swift motion, the sudden impact causing a bolt of pleasurable pain to run through Olivia's body. She bent her head and bit his shoulder. He started thrusting like a mad-man, fast, hard, holding onto her for dear life, keeping her up and around his waist with one arm as the other planted itself in her drenched hair. He pulled her head back, gently, forcing her to move and she looked up at him. He kissed her, ravaging her mouth with his as hips continued their powerful piston-thrusts.

"Oh, fuck, El," she cried, biting his lip and tugging. "Trevor almost, holy shit, screwed us over today."

Elliot grunted and moaned. "God damn, Liv, I know, but," he said, kissing her and tugging on her lip in return. "God, I could do this forever," he moaned. "Donnelly knew he was full of shit, and he just screwed himself over."

Olivia dug her nails into Elliot's back, he cried out, she dragged her nails down, leaving bright red streaks in their wake. He felt her clench around him and his fight to make it last was lost. He allowed himself to start to let go, too. "Oh, Liv, baby," he moaned into her ear, "I love you."

"God, El, I love you." Her body tightened, every muscle contracted around Elliot's body and her inner walls clamped down on his rod, milking him at once. "Holy shit, Liv," he croaked. He thrust three more times to bring them down from their high, calming them, and he slowly dropped her to her feet, plopping her into the inch-high pool of water on the floor.

He kissed her, slowly, sweetly, lovingly. "Go get some dry clothes. We'll stay in the cribs tonight. On our way out, I will, uh, _suggest_ that your landlord replace this fucking thing. In a _friendly_ way, of course."

"Oh, _of course_," she said, raising her eyebrow and smirking. "Just remember, baby, he can't replace my sink with a broken arm."

* * *

"What are you two doing here? You had court today, therefore you have the night off. Why do you both look like you walked through a car wash?" Cragen asked.

"Well, I'm not staying home until Kathy gets the hell out. I went to Liv's, I was gonna crash on her couch, but her sink blew up," Elliot explained.

Munch chuckled. "Lemme guess, instead of trying to fix it, Benson, you just hit it and yelled at it?"

"Bite me, Munch," she said, running her hand through her still-soaked hair. "And, yes, I don't how fix a fucking sink! I was just trying to get the water to stop _gushing_ everywhere. My methods didn't exactly _work."_

Elliot laughed. "When we left, the sink was still sputtering, her place was flooding and her landlord didn't seem to give a shit."

"Well, you're welcome to stay in the cribs, you know that. But, as long as you're _here_," he handed them files. "Paperwork. Court _was recessed_ so you had a few hours off for _nothing_. Hope you enjoyed it."

Olivia huffed. "Oh, yeah, I really enjoyed having a _log flume_ in my apartment."

"Well, it _was_ one hell of a ride, Liv," Elliot whispered to her. They smirked at each other, then laughed.

"Hey, Fin, why don't we have any inside jokes or secret handshakes like those two?" Munch asked, peering over his sunglasses at his partner.

Fin looked up from his DD5, then over to Olivia and Elliot who were just sitting down to their paperwork, still glancing and smiling at each other. "Because, Munch. I'm not in love with you," he said with a smirk.

Munch looked at his two drenched friends and hummed. "You think they're in love?"

"No," Fin said. "I _know_ they are. I just hope _they_ figure it out soon, because a girl like Benson isn't gonna be _single_ too long."

"We can _hear_ you, ya know," Olivia said, her smirk wide and her eyes narrowed.

Munch chuckled. "Yeah, we know."

"But, there are _so_ many things you _don't,"_ Elliot muttered under his breath to Olivia, causing them both to snicker and share another furtive glace.

**A/N: The outcome of that trial and Trevor's consequences, a new case for the SVU crew that hits close to home and **_**could**_** out Liv and El, and Donnelly gets the divorce papers on her desk. All coming up in Now 5!**


	5. It Ends Now

**A/N: Trevor looks a bit pekish at closing arguments. Poor, boy. HA! Who's the newest vic that might force Olivia and Elliot to confront what they've done? Donnelly delivers her opinion on Elliot's divorce.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Donnelly asked.

The foreman rose and handed a piece of paper to the bailiff. "We have Your Honor."

Olivia sucked in a breath. She glared at the man on trial, accused and _hopefully_ convicted of raping and killing teenagers all over Manhattan. Then, her eyes traveled to Langan. He looked awful. Unshaven, bags under his eyes, and pale. Whatever Donnelly said to him in her chambers yesterday had impacted him tremendously.

"The jury finds the defendant guilty on all charges," the foreman bellowed. There was pandemonium in the courtroom as the victims' families cried in grieving victory, finally getting closure and justice for their loved ones. Olivia smirked and rose, followed by Elliot, but Trevor stopped them on their way out of the room.

"Detectives," he began. "I am, truly, sorry for the stunt I pulled on you during Olivia's testimony. Part of it _was_ jealousy and hurt over the rejection, but the bigger part was I really didn't have a _defense._ The man was guilty as sin. It was a dirty trick and it could have ruined you both. I'm sorry."

Olivia scoffed. "You _are_ sorry, Langan. You are one _sorry_ human being."

"I mean it, Olivia. I've been suspended for a month and I have to appear before the disciplinary board when I return. It was a bad move, but I was desperate," he said. "And I could have sworn I was right. I see the way he looks at you, Olivia. If he hasn't made a move on you, he will."

Shaking her head, she said, "Have a nice vacation, Langan. Clearly, you need it."

When they were out of the courthouse, she turned to Elliot. "You know, if he had asked me, on the stand, if there was anything going on, if he would have made it a _direct question_..."

"I know. You would have had to say yes. You couldn't commit _perjury_, Liv, I know," Elliot said. "I'm thankful he _didn't _ask and that Donnelly jumped down his throat before he could. It would have made the papers I put on her desk this morning harder for her to sign."

* * *

"Well," Fin said, "Did we nail the bastard?"

"Guilty on all counts," Olivia said, hanging up her jacket. "Langan's suspended, too."

"Good," Munch said. "That's what he gets for messing with Benson and Stabler."

"Speaking of Benson and Stabler," Cragen said, "There's a domestic violence vic at Mercy General. Said she'll only speak to you two, and she wouldn't give us her name. Go."

They arrived at the hospital, flashing their badges to get through the crowd in the E.R. "Detective Benson," Olivia said, pointing to herself. "This is Detective Stabler, we got a call about a possible domestic abuse victim."

The nurse she was talking to nodded and brought them into an exam room. Kathy was sitting on the examining table. There were no visible bruises, but she had been crying. As soon as they walked through the doors she leaped off the table and threw her arms around Elliot. "You came," she cried. "You came for me."

"No," he said, pulling her off of him. "I came for a _victim_, Kathy. I can't handle _this _case."

Kathy sniffled. "But, you _have_ to! I have to tell you what Craig did to me, Elliot. You have to go _arrest_ him and you have to take me _home_, and _protect _me."

"Jesus, Kathy," Elliot said through clenched teeth. He ran a hand through his hair. "I can _not _handle this case. Olivia will take your statement, I'm gonna go talk to the doctor and I'm calling Fin to come down here and handle this." He whipped out his cell phone and dialed.

"Elliot, no! It has to be _you_, don't you _get_ it? _You're_ supposed to get mad and jealous and _save_ me!" Kathy was yelling, her tears coming faster and harder.

Olivia stepped forward. "Kathy, it's_ illegal_ for him to handle your case. Technically, you're still married, so he can not be involved in this. Conflict of interest."

"Oh, shove off, you bitch," Kathy spat. "He _wants_ me back, I _know_ he does. Does that piss you off, _Benson_?"

"Kathy!" Elliot roared, like she was a perp. "Enough! I do _not_ want you back, for crying out loud! I signed the papers and a judge is going over them _as we speak_. Besides, I'm already seeing someone." Elliot pulled the doctor into the room as he saw him coming and was talking to him as Kathy seethed.

"He's lying, right? He's just trying to get me to stop insulting you," Kathy figured.

Olivia shook her head. "No. Judge Donnelly has the papers. I, uh, don't know if he's seeing someone." She was not comfortable. She was nervous and she was nauseous.

Elliot took the chart and the report from the doctor and smirked. "Thank you, Doc," he said. "Kathy, you really have balls, you know that?"

"Who is she Elliot?" Kathy barked. She snapped her head toward Olivia. "Is it _her_? How long have you been screwing your slut of a partner? Huh?"

Elliot boomed. "Shut the hell up, Kathy. I could arrest you right now for filing a false report. There is _no_ evidence of any abuse, not a bite, bruise or scratch, you don't even have a broken _fingernail_! This was all some ploy to get me in here hoping I would be all worried and concerned and pissed off at your boyfriend!"

"Why aren't you?" she asked, sniffling again.

Elliot shook his head in disbelief as Olivia stormed out of the room. She had barely made it to the bathroom before the panic attack she'd been trying to avoid set in. Her breathing was ragged and she was shaking like a leaf. She splashed her face with cold water and looked up into the mirror. This needed to end. She couldn't live like this. No matter how happy _he_ made her, the world _around_ them was suffocating her.

She walked out of the bathroom, a bit calmer, and Elliot was standing there, waiting. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Elliot, this has gotta stop. I can't do this anymore," she cried. "I'm sorry, I love you. I do. So much that _it hurts_. But, I can't keep _lying_. First, Trevor in _court_ and now Kathy, and she's gonna force it out of you and I can't..."

Elliot's heart broke. "Liv, don't do this. I'm not entertaining her sick notions, here, Liv. Donnelly's got the papers on her desk. She just has to give me one phone call and it's all over. We can talk to Cragen, and I already told you I'll switch partners. Liv, please. Just the _thought_ of losing you," he said, his voice cracking, "Kills me."

"Guys," Fin said. "I don't wanna interrupt, but we have a problem. Kathy won't officially recant her statement until you tell her who you're dating, Elliot. If she doesn't, then we have to go pick up Craig, even though we all know he didn't do anything, and while she's a patient we can't arrest her. We're stuck here."

Olivia took a deep breath. "He was lying, Fin. He thought it would get her to admit she was, too. Elliot isn't seeing anyone." She turned and walked out of the corridor, leaving Elliot unsure of whether she lied to cover their asses, or told the truth for the first time in months.

* * *

She was sitting on a bunk and signing the printed, processed DD5's she'd just finished typing. Her apartment was being completely re-floored, since her landlord waited three hours to fix her sink, so she was still sleeping in the cribs. Her breath hitched when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She drew her gun, sat up and readied herself to stand and shoot. His tear-stained face appeared and she gasped.

"Liv," he said walking over to her. "Please, don't leave me." He pulled her up out of the bed and into his arms. "Kathy recanted, we have a full statement. She gets it, Liv. Finally. You left and I talked to her. I didn't tell her _everything_, but I told her that I wanted to be with _you _as soon as the divorce went through."

Olivia sighed and her arms drew themselves up around his back. "It wasn't just her, El," she began.

"I know, baby, but Donnelly called me an hour ago." He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "We won't have to lie anymore. It's over."

Olivia blinked. "What? You're divorced?"

"I am now," he said. "Legally. In a week, everything will be _final_. Liv, tell me," he paused to catch his breath. "Tell me you're not...this is breaking my heart, baby."

She looked at him. "Oh, fuck, El. I'm strong enough to tackle a man four times my size but I'm not strong enough to live without you." She pulled him into her, kissing him. "Call it temporary insanity. You know I'd never leave you, El." She kissed him again, clutching his shoulders. "I love you."

"Liv, baby," he said between kisses. "Thank God," he cried. "I can't live without you either." He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back, deepening their kiss.

Olivia backed up, pulling him with her, until her knees hit the bed and they fell onto it, still kissing. "Make love to me," she whispered to him.

"Here?" he asked. They were in the cribs, at work. This was risky.

Olivia nodded, kissing him again. "Here. Now. I need to _feel_ how much you love me. I need to know you're _mine_," she prodded, tugging his shirt out of his pants.

"You'll _never_ know how much I love you, honey. I _am _yours, now and always." He pulled his shirt off and threw it on the bed to their left. He made quick work of her shirt, too, pressing slow kisses down her body.

"God, El. It's really over, isn't it? You're not married anymore, so this is the _end _of our _affair_?" Olivia asked as he slid her pants off of her slender legs.

Elliot chuckled. "Liv, baby, I told you. We were never having an _affair._ We _were _having an extra-marital _relationship_, and Liv? This is only the _beginning_."

**A/N: Woot! So, when do they tell Cragen? Now 6. Keep a lookout! **


	6. The Fallout Starts Now

**A/N: Cragen, the kids, and Olivia. Three conversations about how real their relationship is, three different reactions, only one outcome. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"So, why aren't you_ both_ in here telling me this? Where is she?" Cragen said as he paced back and forth in his office, refusing to look at Elliot.

Elliot stoically responded. "She's still sleeping, Cap."

"You know what you're _telling_ me? Do you know what you're _asking_ me to _do_, Elliot?" Cragen asked, still not meeting the detective's eyes.

"Sir, I'm aware that you'll need to split us up. I'm not asking you to break rules. That's why I'm coming to you _now."_

"Oh, don't give me that shit, Stabler. This has been going on for _months_. I'm your Captain, hence, also a _detective_. But, I'm glad you're coming to me before anything is _official_," he said. "And I know you're not _asking_ me to, but I _have_ to. I can't send the two of you out there without _each other_. Look at what's happened every time I've _tried_? Munch gets _her _shot, and everyone _but _her pisses _you_ the hell off. Besides, you're the best _team_ this city's ever seen." For the first time, he turned to look at Elliot. "Do you know how many precincts have called and offered transfers for the two of you?"

"Um, no," Elliot said, looking quite shocked. "Sir, we're aware of the consequences and we're ready. If one of us needs to transfer, I'm willing..."

Cragen slammed his hand down on his desk, causing Elliot to jump. "Did you not just _hear_ me, Elliot? Neither one of you is going _anywhere._ I'll _handle_ it," he yelled. "I don't know _how_, but, until I _do_, you two have to keep it _out_ of the office."

Elliot swallowed and inhaled, deeply. "We can do that."

"I know, you've done a damn good job of it. Well, up until last night, which, technically wasn't _at_ work." Cragen ran a hand over his head. "Just, if you're gonna use those beds for, uh, _that_, try to be a little _quieter_. You know I come and go at all hours of the goddamn night. You're lucky I knew who it was and didn't run up there and barge in on the two of you."

Elliot laughed, finally relaxing a little. "Yes, Sir."

"How long does she need to stay here, exactly?" Cragen asked.

"There was an awful lot of damage to her place, so I helped her get everything that was salvageable into boxes. Some in her car, some in mine, and she was just staying here until we tell my kids. Tonight. She'll stay with me until she finds a new apartment, if the kids mind. If they _don't_ then she'll just, uh, stay, I guess." Elliot babbled. He had no idea what was going to happen tonight, when he sprung this _supposedly _new relationship onto his kids.

Cragen sighed and nodded. "Well, we have a few apartments that we use for undercover ops and stuff, if she needs a place. I can call One-P-P and make it happen."

"Thanks, Cap." Elliot walked out of the captain's office, thanking God that the man wasn't as angry as he thought he would be, and climbed the stairs to the cribs. He was gonna wake Olivia up, since work was supposed to start in about ten minutes.

He opened the door and was surprised to see her up, dressed and directly in front of him. "Hi," she said. "I was just coming down."

"Well" he said, "Now that you're up, can we talk?"

Olivia glowered at him. "The last time you asked me that you told me your wife was _pregnant _and I wanted to _hurt you_," she said through gritted teeth.

"This is a _good_ thing, baby. That was, _too_, but you jumped to crazy conclusions _before_ I could actually _talk _to you, remember?" he laughed.

"Fine," she said, stepping back into the cribs.

"I, uh, told Cragen," he said. "About us."

"What? Elliot, are you out of your goddamned mind?" she yelled.

He laughed and eased her down on the bed closest to the door. "Honey, he came back here last night. He, uh, _heard_ us. I _had _to tell him. He _knew_, anyway, and he's fine with it. He yelled at me for even _thinking _he'd split us up. We're gonna be okay." He kissed her and she relaxed with a sigh into his arms. "And, I wanted to tell you, one more time, that I'm not going anywhere. This, you and me, it's _real_ now. Sure, we have to deal with the fallout from work, which Cragen seems to think he can handle, and the kids, which I'm sure won't be as bad as you think. My kids have always loved you and as long as they believe this didn't start until I found out about Kathy's boyfriend, they won't be _too_ uncomfortable with it."

"El, I don't think showing up tonight and saying, 'Hey, sorry that your mom betrayed you guys, I'm dating your dad. By the way, I'm also moving in because my sink blew up and now my place looks like the fucking Titanic.' is a great way to start a new relationship with your children."

"Liv," he said with a laugh. "You're a pessimist."

"No shit, Detective. Really?" she joked. "I haven't exactly had any reason to be an _optimist_, El. My life has _sucked_, up until you, and at any given moment, simply _because_ it's _my _life, pretty soon, you're gonna go away."

Elliot looked into her eyes, brushed the hair out of her face and smiled. "Baby, _what_ do I have to do to convince you I'm _not_? We _will_ make this work. My kids will _deal _with it, IAB _will_ deal with it. You have to let yourself believe that _you have_ me," he said with a kiss. "You have _all_ of me."

"I'll _never_ be fully convinced, baby." She smiled. Kissing him, lingering on his lips for a moment, she whispered, "I love you," and stood up. As she walked out of the room, Elliot shook his head, in awe of his bright, confident, tough woman, who just couldn't believe she was finally happy. He pondered, and his eyes lit up when he thought of a way to, hopefully, convince her. Even if it was just a little bit.

* * *

"I know, Maureen! I _did_ talk to him, _too_, ya know," Kathleen said as she tried to align the silverware on the table perfectly.

"I'm just saying, this is _Olivia_, not some tramp he picked up in a bar that we're all supposed to _hate_, so don't treat her any differently than normal," Maureen said as she tried to light the candles.

Lizzie giggled. "So, if Liv was just coming over for a normal dinner we'd light candles and break out the good china?"

Maureen rolled her eyes. "Okay, so we can treat her a _little_ different."

"I _knew_ dad would pick Olivia after Mom, but, I still can't help but feel a little _jealous_. Part of me _thought_ there was a chance..."

"Dickhead, she is _twice_ your age, you nimrod!" Kathleen yelled at her brother for thinking of _Olivia_ in a _sexual _way.

Dickie simpered and raised both eyebrows. "But, she's twice my age and _hot_, Kat! All the guys in my class _drooled_ when she and Dad came to talk to us about sexual harassment. Every time she moved, the way her hips would..."

"Okay, you slimeball! This is our potential future _stepmother_, and Dad's best friend! She's like _our aunt_, you freak!" Maureen scolded.

"Hey, I ain't related to her," Dickie said, smirking.

Lizzie smacked him in the head. "You _will_ be if she and Dad get married."

"Ugh, I don't wanna talk about that, okay? He and Mom just split up a week ago, and I don't know if I'm _happy_ that he's dating. Even if it _is_ Olivia. Can we take this one step at a time?" Kathleen cried.

They heard the door open and ran to the living room, pretending they knew nothing, as their father had told them to do. "Hey, guys! Look who's here!" they heard Elliot yell from the foyer.

"Hi, Olivia!" Lizzie yelled, cheerfully.

Dickie lowered his voice and smirked. "Hey," he said, trying to seem mature.

"How's your arm?" Maureen asked, taking her bags from her. "Did you get the basket we made for you?"

"Hi, guys. The arm is perfect and yes I did. Thank you, it was so thoughtful," Olivia said, surprised at her warm welcome.

Elliot took her hand and led her to the sofa, sitting down between Kathleen and Maureen. "Guys, um, Olivia's apartment flooded and there was so much damage, that I kind of told her to break her lease and move out. She needs a place to stay for a while. Would you mind if she stayed with us?"

The kids looked at each other, feigning surprise and all shook their heads. "No, Dad," they said. "Liv's cool," Lizzie added with a smirk."

"Good, um, I'm glad you think she's _cool_, Lizzie," Elliot said. "Now, uh, is there something _else_ you guys want to say to her?"

"Yeah," Kathleen said. "I want to go first." She looked at her dad, apologetically, and he had a flash of fear in his eyes. Then she smiled. She looked at Olivia. "Olivia, we know that you and our father are very close, and he told us that you were a little scared about telling us you wanted to, ya know,_ date_. I don't think people over twenty should call it _dating_ though, but, whatever. I'm gonna be honest. I'm not ready for this. So, if I'm a little uneasy around you guys for a while, I'm sorry. But, I _am_ glad that it's _you_ and not someone completely _new_ that we don't know, trust or love the way we know, trust and love you."

Olivia was a little shocked. She wasn't expecting any of that. Especially, that _last_ part. "Thank you, Katie. This is all going to be a bit hard for me to get used to, too, so, maybe we can work on it together?"

"Yeah," Katie said with a small smile. "Okay."

"My turn," Dickie said. "Dad has great taste. Olivia, you're amazing. You're smart, funny, fun to be around, really pretty, and if you were fourteen I would totally ask you out. That being said, you've done a lot for us Stablers, and I'm not mad at you. You can totally date Dad. But, if it doesn't work out..."

"Jerkface!" Maureen yelled. "Do not hit on Dad's girlfriend. So gross! Uh, I guess it's my turn." She leaned into her father, closely, and whispered, "I'm not blind, or stupid. I _know_, Dad," she said looking intently into Elliot's eyes. He gulped, but she continued. "But, I don't blame you. I knew about Mom, too, and you both had your reasons. Yours were much more _noble_ and _respectable_. I know you _love_ her." She leaned back into her seat and spoke louder. "Mom hurt us, a lot, because she _didn't_ love dad. And then she ran off with a guy none of us really knew, or liked and didn't even want to be with him either. So, Daddy has a chance to be with someone who _does_ love him, for all of the right reasons, and who, we know for a _fact_, would take a bullet for him. I can't say I'm one-hundred-percent happy with the way things have, uh, happened _so quickly_," she said, covering for her father, "But, I'm not _surprised_ that it happened. And I'm not that upset. I _do_ love you, Olivia, and I _know_ that Daddy does, too."

"That leaves me," Lizzie said. "I'm not completely _sure_ what happened between my parents. I'm not sure I _want_ to know. What I _do _know, however, is that since my father has known you, Olivia, these last eight years, you are_ all_ he talks about. When you weren't around, that F.B.I thing, he was _dead_ inside. Since you came back, he has been happier, and stronger, and nicer. Whenever you were hurt, he panicked until he knew you were okay, and he pissed Mom off all of the time because he wouldn't come home until they let you do the same. I think _that's_ love. You're also amazingly nice, and like Dickie said, you're funny. You make us all laugh. So, while I don't really know _why_ Mom left, I don't really _care_. I like _you_ better."

By now, Olivia was in tears. These were some of the nicest things she'd ever heard and certainly _not_ the reactions she was _expecting_. Of course, they didn't know _everything_, the_ whole_ truth, but still, they were _okay_ with it, for the _most_ part.

"See," Elliot said, leaning into her, still clutching her hand, and blinking away his own tears. "Do you believe me _now_? Do you understand that we're _going_ to be _together _for a _very_ long time?"

She nodded, and her tears fell. Her head dropped into Elliot's chest and he held her as he looked into the faces of his four children. He mouthed a heartfelt, "Thank you," to them and they replied by rising from their seats, all except Kathleen, and enveloping Elliot and Olivia into a big hug. Elliot caught Kathleen's eyes, and the young girl smiled and nodded slightly, giving her approval, but also letting her father know that she just wasn't ready. The kids pulled away from their dad and Olivia, and ran into the living room to finish setting the table.

"They made us dinner, baby," Elliot said, peering down at Olivia.

She looked up at him and smiled. "You told them _before_ we got here. You _planned_ that whole thing?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did. Well, I didn't tell them _what_ to _say_, I just told them to tell you how they felt about us dating. I _needed_ you to _know_," he said, "They adore you."

"I love you, El." She gave him a light kiss on the lips.

Elliot smiled. "I love you, too, Liv. Let's go eat."

**A/N: So, now that everyone knows, how do they really handle it? Will they ever find out the truth? Now 7 will be up tomorrow, but review this chappy! **


	7. The Games Begin Now

**A/N: Elliot talks to Maureen and Kathleen, someone else finds out the truth and isn't happy. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Elliot sat down with his daughters before he and Olivia left for work. He had made breakfast and poured them orange juice, they were a bit angry that he'd woken them up two hours before their normal time for this chat.

"Dad," Kathleen moaned, "What in Sam Hill is this about?"

"Yeah. I was having such a nice dream," Maureen said. "Brad Pitt was the special guest star."

Elliot chuckled as he cut into his omelet. "I know, and I'm sorry. But, I wanted to talk to you two before I left. I know you guys are having the most trouble dealing with me and Liv. You're the oldest, and you're being hit the hardest. I just wanted you guys to know that I love her with all my heart, and what you guys said yesterday, it meant a lot to her and it meant a lot to me. I'm gonna try to make this easy for you, and I'm not expecting it to happen overnight. You're not going to hurt me or her if you don't fawn all over her," he said while chewing. "But, you have to know that she's not going anywhere, regardless."

Kathleen stared into her glass, spinning it around on the table, silent.

Maureen nodded. "I know, Daddy. You know, uh, where I stand on the, um, situation, here. And you know why I'm not exactly thrilled, but, like I said, you and Liv are understandable. You make sense."

"If Mom didn't cheat on you, Dad, would you have stayed with her?" Kathleen asked.

Elliot gulped. "What?"

Kathleen looked up. "If Mom had been better to you, loved you, stayed with you, would you have stayed with her, or would you have fallen in love with Olivia anyway?"

"Oh, Katie," he said, hanging his head. "I can't answer that. Not really. Your mother stopped really caring about me after the twins were born, before Liv and I even met, and I've been falling in love with her, uncontrollably and unintentionally, ever since. But, I swear to you, I tried to make it work with your mother."

Kathleen nodded, sipped her juice. "Why didn't making it work _actually_ work?"

"We weren't in love anymore, Kat. We were unhappy and we both had other people we would much rather be with. It wasn't fair to stay with each other, in misery, because we knew that we were making you guys miserable, too. Aren't you happier knowing that I'm happier?" Elliot lightly rubbed the back of his hand along his daughter's cheek and smiled.

"Oh," Kathleen said, with a shrug. "Yeah. When you put it that way, I guess it _is_ better than watching you and Mom do nothing but fight."

"Olivia's only been here for a day and it's been better than living with Mom," Maureen said. "It still kind of hurts that she chose to leave before you did." She looked up at her dad and shook her head. "I always thought it would be _you_."

Elliot choked on his toast. "Excuse me, Mo?"

Maureen looked at her father. "I thought you'd leave Mom for Olivia before she left you," she said. "I'm glad I was wrong."

The unlikely trio finished their breakfast, then Elliot and Olivia, who ate in the living room with the newspaper, went to work, leaving the kids to face the day on their own.

* * *

The man said nothing, he just glared at Olivia and smirked, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I asked you where she was, you prick," Olivia said, leaving over the table.

Elliot was slightly nervous. When Olivia got angry, things got messy. She could be worse than him sometimes, and it wasn't above her to break a perp's arm or throw a chair or two. She was close to her breaking point with this guy. He looked at her, sideways, and bit his lip.

"Now, you're either going to tell me where she is, or I'll beat it out of you," she threatened.

The man just kept smirking, as he leaned back in his chair, and cocked his head. "I'd love it if you touched me, baby."

"Oh, don't tempt me," Olivia spat, pushing the table into the perp's chest. She hopped up, as if she would leap over it. Elliot sped over and pushed her away from the metal surface. "Liv, calm down, huh? Aren't you the one who's always saying they aren't worth it?" She nodded as he ran a hand down her shoulder and arm.

"Oh, cute. So, how long have you been fucking around? Is it seven months or eight? I lost track." The man smirked smugly as the two detectives looked at him, trying to conceal their obvious shock. "I'll tell you where the girl is if you answer my questions, Detective Stabler."

"What the hell?" Elliot faced the man and leaned over the table. "What game are you playing, Lutz?

The suspect grinned. "No games. See, I _was_ after Detective Benson, but you weren't gonna let _anyone_ near her. That was clear when you practically _choked_ that lawyer," he said. "So, I'll tell you what _you_ wanna know, if you tell _me _what I have been wondering for too damn _long_."

Elliot raised his eyebrow, looked into the mirror where he knew his captain was watching, and he squeezed Olivia's shoulder. This man had just confessed to prowling after an officer. He _saw_ Elliot toss Trevor out of her apartment. He was following _his_ Olivia, and now he wanted to talk about _her_ in return for the _real _victim. His temper flared and every fiber of his being screamed "No," but Olivia, who would stop at _nothing_ to find the girl, asked what he wanted to know.

"What does she _taste_ like? What does it feel like to be _inside_ of her? Does she scream the same way in bed as she screams at the bad guys in this room, or does it sound different? Is it different now that you're not cheating on your wife, Detective? Has it _lost_ something, or has it _gained_ something?" Lutz narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, waiting for his answers.

Unsure of who else, if anyone, was in the pit, he spat, "I have no idea what you're talking about you sick fuck," but then he ripped Lutz up out of his seat and slammed him into the wall. He gritted his teeth and whispered, so softly, "She tastes like a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar on the hottest day of the year, she feels like a _vice_ in _Heaven_, she screams and moans and makes _every_ noise in between and its like _music_, and it just gets better and _better_." He pulled Lutz away from the wall and slammed him back into it twice as hard, causing his head to split open and bleed a little. "If you ever look at her again, ever even _think_ about her, I _will_ kill you, now _where_ is the girl?"

Elliot didn't realize his hand was squeezing Lutz's throat, all the man could do was make pathetic gurgling and croaking sounds. "Elliot," Olivia cried. "Let him go!"

He dropped the man, his eyes widened and the realization of everything he just said and did hit him. He was in such a shocked state that he didn't hear him confess and give the location.

Olivia was worried. She gave up trying to get his attention and ran out, taking Fin with her to get the girl as Cragen walked in and spun Elliot around. "Elliot! Snap out of it," he yelled. Elliot blinked and turned around. "Where's Liv?"

Cragen looked at him, blankly. "She tried to get through to you but you were just staring at Lutz and seething. She went with..."

Elliot stared into his captain's eyes. "Where?" he asked, fearing that he would break his promise to never let her go out without him again. Cragen told him, and then watched as Elliot ran faster than he thought humanly possible.

* * *

He pulled up to the warehouse just as Olivia and Fin were coming out through the doors, one on either side of the frightened girl, in her mid-twenties, who looked like she could be related to Olivia. They walked the girl over to the waiting ambulance, and once she was settled, Olivia said, "I'll ride with her."

"Me, too," Elliot said, quickly, stepping in behind her.

"El, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprised, and still a bit shocked at what she saw him do.

Elliot grabbed her hand. "Apologizing. You almost lost it with him and I calmed you down, but then I go and almost kill him," he whispered, shaking his head. "He just pushed me too far, saying he was after you and then with those questions. I just couldn't stop, and I could have let you get hurt, not being here with you. What if something happened and I wasn't here?"

"Well, you stopped, I didn't get hurt and nothing happened," she said with a shrug. "Now, can we concentrate on the vic, here?" she whispered back, shooting a glance at the brunette, who had been slipping in and out of consciousness.

* * *

They came back from St. Vincent's with the rape kit, handed it off to Warner and Olivia immediately poured herself a cup of Munch's famous brew. She choked it down in one gulp. "Stabler," Cragen boomed. "Now, please," he said with a gesture into his office.

Elliot exhaled and walked into his captain's quarters, sat down, and waited. Cragen looked at him. "You told me you'd keep it out of work."

"Cap, you heard him," Elliot started.

Cragen cut him off. "Yeah, but would you have almost killed him if he asked you those things about Kathy?" Elliot's silence was enough of an answer. "IAB doesn't know what he did to provoke you, only that you used your _people skills_ to get the confession."

"Thank you, Cap. I'm so sorry about all of this," Elliot said.

"Hey," Cragen replied. "I know you are. I know _you_, Elliot. By the way, you're damn lucky I was the _only_ one behind that glass. You have got to stay_ professional _if you're trying to keep this thing between you and Olivia quiet. We've got computer crimes looking through Lutz's laptop and cell phone to see if there's any_ proof_ to his claim of stalking Benson, but so far, it looks like he was just blowing smoke up your ass to get you talk to him the way he wanted to be talked to. What if he just guessed you two were sleeping together, he figured you were the jealous type and made up the thing about the lawyer? He could have played you," Cragen said, folding his arms.

Elliot squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. "Shit," he cried.

"And you did _exactly_ what he wanted you to do. Didn't you?" Cragen asked, looking disapprovingly at Elliot. "If you were thinking _rationally_, keeping a level-head, maybe you would have remembered to _interrogate_ first and throw punches_ later_. A simple, 'what lawyer?' or 'who said I was married?' probably would have put an end to the whole thing. We got the girl, but you were off your game tonight, Elliot. I want you back on it, before I bench you."

"Yeah," Elliot said. "Sure thing, Coach."

He walked back out into the bullpen, followed by Cragen, and Munch and Fin were surrounding Olivia's desk, with Morales from Computer Crimes. Elliot tried to run over to Olivia, but Munch held up his hand. "What's going on, here?" he asked.

"Oh," Morales said. "Captain Cragen, we found these e-mails on Lutz's laptop. They were encrypted, which is why they didn't come through right away." He handed a stack of stapled correspondence to Cragen. "There were also some photos, but we believe they've been Photoshopped, or altered in other ways. The lighting and coloring are off and the positioning of some of the bodies is too awkward for them to be real. He was planning on sending them to someone, but we found them before he could. Your detectives are safe."

Cragen flipped through the e-mails and then looked at Olivia, who must have had the images. She was very harrowed looking and pale, Fin had a hand on her back. "Elliot, I take it back. You, uh, you had _every_ right to _pummel _Lutz."

"Sir?" Elliot said, raising an eyebrow.

Cragen handed the stack of papers to Elliot and sighed. "He _was_ following Olivia. Your ex-wife paid him to do it."

**A/N: Oh, Kathy. When will you learn? Reviews make me smile big! If you want Now 8, please tell me what you thought of this one!**


	8. They're Happy Now

**A/N: Everyone deserves to be happy, even in the midst of a semi-crisis. **

**DISCLAIMER: All characters and cites of SVU belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue (and anything Original) belong to TStabler©**

Olivia spent the rest of her shift thanking God, who she didn't really believe in, that Morales was convinced the pictures were fake. They _weren't_, but as long as the _computer expert_ thought they were, everyone _else_ would, too. Elliot hadn't seen them, Munch and Fin had kept him away from the desk until she put them into the envelope and gave them to Cragen. She didn't want to give him any more of a reason to kill Lutz than he already had. When they were finally allowed to go home, she sighed in relief. Elliot walked in front of her, only by a foot, but she reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it, like a real, normal couple.

He looked at her, stopping in his tracks. "Okay," he said. "I like this."

She smiled at him. Unsure of what to say, she just gave his hand a light squeeze. She liked this, too. Even though it was only for a few brief moments, from the door to his car, the stroll, hand-in-hand, made her heart swell. There was nothing stopping them, now, and she was only just _now_ admitting it to herself. He opened the door for her, and begrudgingly let go of her hand as she slid into the vehicle. He closed her in, and ran around to the driver's side, climbing in and immediately leaning over the console to plant a searing kiss on her lips. "I love you," he said as he pulled away from her to start the car.

"I love you, too, El." She ran a hand through his hair and buckled her seatbelt, and as they pulled out of the lot she asked, "What are you gonna do about Kathy?"

He shook his head and cast an annoyed sigh. "Nothing, Liv. I'm going to do absolutely _nothing_. I'm letting Cragen and Computer Crimes and Vice handle it. It's _not_ an SVU case, and even if it _was_, I couldn't get involved. We're the _victims_." He turned left down the street and changed lanes, jerking the car. "Sorry," he said. "Tried to make it through the light. Anyway, she only did it to get a rise out of me, to get my _attention_ and I'm not giving her what she wants. She's never gonna see those pictures or hear anything from Lutz, so I see no need to ever talk to her again."

"You're handling this well," Olivia said, sounding surprised.

"Ha! I _want_ to choke her, Liv. I _want _to ring her fucking neck," he spat. "But, I'm trying to remain calm. After what happened today, knowing I could have been_ wrong_ and could have…" he paused, not wanting to think about it. "I'm trying to keep my temper in check, here."

Olivia smirked at him. "I'm proud of you."

He smiled, raising his eyebrows, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Thanks," he said. They pulled up to his house and got out of the car, and he grabbed her hand. He brought his hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle, sweetly, as he led her into the house.

They stepped into the foyer and were hit with the smells of garlic, onion and tomatoes. They heard an awful lot of noise coming from the kitchen and dining room, and they looked at each other with matching question-mark expressions. "Guys?" Elliot called. "We're home!"

"Dad! Liv! You're early!" Maureen shouted, running into the living room, frantic.

Dickie ran in behind her, with oven mitts on his hands. "Oh, boy! Uh, um, how do you make garlic bread bake faster?"

"Turn it up higher," Kathleen said, rolling her eyes, from her spot on the couch.

Lizzie shouted, "No! It'll burn. Just relax. I'm sure they won't mind waiting. Could you guys let them actually get _into_ the house?" The fourteen year old blonde crossed her arms and tapped her foot, seeming all the more like a grown-up.

Olivia and Elliot suppressed a laugh. "What's going on, kids?" Elliot asked his children.

"We made dinner," Maureen said.

Dickie put his mitted hands on his hips. "It was a group effort, well, except for Kathleen. She's gonna do the dishes. We, uh, wanted to do something nice for you since Olivia did all of that...No? What? Why are you shaking your head, Liv?"

"Maybe, because she hasn't _told_ Daddy, yet, you genius!" Lizzie said, smacking her twin in the head.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Told me _what?_"

Olivia paled. She wasn't sure if she overstepped any boundaries, here. "Well, uh…"

Kathleen, flipping through a magazine, answered. "Our ever-so-loving mother, _Kathy_, never signed _any_ of our report cards or filed-trip forms, she didn't pay for Dickie's soccer uniform and she never had Lizzie's Epi-Pen prescription refilled. Since it was the first day of the new marking-period, the Principal called us all down and _yelled_ for a good ten minutes until someone took care of it. We called you at work, but _Olivia_ picked up. She explained the, uh, _mother _situation to Mr. Tollero and then gave verbal acknowledgment that_ she'd_ seen all of our grades, we could all go _wherever_, she put Dickhead's uniform on her Visa and had Dr. Warner run down to the school with a box of Epi-Pens and alcohol wipes. It took her, like, _five minutes_." Kathleen looked up at her dad for the first time since she started explaining and smiled, but had a hint of anger and hurt in her eyes. "The bald idiot _apologized_ and told us that our _stepmother_ was going to be _so _much_ nicer_ to deal with and he hoped he'd see her at _parent-teacher_ conferences."

Olivia smiled sheepishly at Elliot and shrugged. "You were busy," she said.

He said nothing. He simply tugged her toward him and kissed her forehead, giving her a warm, embrace, snuggling into her.

"You're not mad?" she asked, surprised.

"Why _the hell_ would I be mad, Liv? Baby, you took care of the kids," he said smiling, in shock, at her. "I'd be _mad_ if you _ignored_ them when they needed something."

"Oh, my gosh!" Lizzie yelled, interrupting the potentially romantic moment. "The garlic bread, Dickie!"

The boy jumped and ran into the kitchen, pulling perfectly browned bread out of the oven.

* * *

Dinner, for a meal that had been cooked by three teenagers, was amazing, and the fact that it was a thank you for Liv touched her deeply. She was reading, in bed, when Elliot looked over at her from the doorway. "You amaze me, you know that?" he asked, crawling over her and ripping the book out of her hands. He caught her lips with his as she gasped, before she could say anything in response. She relaxed and wrapped her arms around him, losing herself in the kiss, feeling a rush of pure happiness.

"God, El," she whispered as he pulled away and looked into her eyes. "What is so _amazing_ exactly?"

He rolled to the side and slid under the covers. "In _one_ day, no, in _five minutes_, you did more for my kids than their _mother_ has done _in six months_. _You're_ pretty damn amazing." He flicked off the light on the night stand, and pulled her close to him.

"I love you, El. And I love the kids," she said, nuzzling him and cuddling.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." He kissed her once on the lips and moved lower, kissing her neck. Reaching a hand under the blankets, he skirted the waistline of her pajama pants and tugged and teased, pulling it away from her skin and snapping it back, then finally, snaking his hand down inside.

"Jesus, El," she said, quietly, writhing beneath him as he pushed a finger into her core."Holy shit," she cried, "Your hand's cold."

He chuckled as he slipped another finger into her. "Wow, Liv. God, Jesus, holy shit? I think I'm helping you find religion." He captured her lips, smiling against her mouth. He yanked her pants down with his other hand, then squirmed out of his own. He withdrew his hand, licked his fingers clean, moaning at the taste of her and grinning like a shot fox. He gazed into her eyes as he slid inside of her with one strong thrust, bringing her a little closer to Heaven.

**A/N: They deserved a little happiness. If you didn't notice, the chapters are in a certain **_**order**_**, the next chappy might be a bit tense! Reviews are like my sunshine! They make me grow and thrive! **


	9. It's Inked Now

**A/N: A letter and some important papers for Elliot, and Cragen has some news about Kathy, Kathleen's attitude changes. What does it do to Olivia?**

**DISCLAIMER: All characters and cites of SVU belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue (and anything Original) belong to TStabler©**

Olivia walked out of the kitchen with her take-away cup of coffee, and stopped when she saw Elliot, still and stoic, reading something by the table near the door. "El," she said. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said looking up at her with a smirk. "Signed, sealed, delivered." He waved the papers he'd been reading in the air a bit. "I'm yours."

"What are you talking about, El?" she asked, stepping closer. He handed her the papers, and she smiled. "Oh," she sighed. "Donnelly works fast."

Elliot nodded. "This came with it." He held up a letter from Kathy. "I wasn't going to read it, but in light of everything she's done, I wanted to see if there was a possibility she'd give us any indication she was completely _mental_." Elliot handed Olivia the letter and she looked at him as if he had three heads. "Liv, read it."

"Are you fucking nuts? I don't wanna read your wife's last ditch effort to win you…"

"Liv," he said interrupting her. "Read the damn letter," he said shortly.

Olivia took the letter from his hands, opened it slowly and gasped as her eyes danced across the inked lines and her brain comprehended the written words. "Is she serious? How could she do this to them? Don't get me wrong, baby, I'm very happy for you, but she's not even going to _fight?_ She's their _mother_, it just seems so _wrong_."

"I know. I'm just as pissed as you are. She doesn't want_ weekends_ or _holidays_, she doesn't even want a fucking birthday _phone call_." He folded his arms across his chest and blew out a breath. "They need you now more than ever, Liv. I'm terrified of what they're going to do when they find out she doesn't…" he stopped, choking on his words, and swatted at the tear that had fallen from his left eye. "She doesn't_ want_ them."

Olivia put her cup down on the table and pulled him to her, holding him. "Oh, El." She felt him squeeze tighter as he tried not to cry, but lost the fight.

* * *

They were late to work, Cragen was pissed, Olivia shot him a violent look and he backed off, but asked to see her in his office. She walked in and slammed the door behind her. "Cap, Elliot's divorce went through, final, done, over. He got the papers today, with a letter from Kathy."

"That's not an excuse for the half-hour of wasted time and that _look_ you gave me, Benson," Cragen said.

"Sir, Elliot didn't need to be yelled at!" she spat. "Not today," she said, in a quieter tone.

Cragen saw the look in her eyes and knew that whatever had been in that letter must have been serious. He sighed and softened. "Okay, Olivia. I'll let it slide, this time. Speaking of Kathy, though, Fisher and Carter from Vice picked her up this morning. They're interrogating her right now. I'll let you and Elliot know everything as soon as I find it out."

Olivia nodded, and turned to leave. Cragen stopped her. "Benson," he called. She turned to face him. "Yeah, Cap?"

"I'm here if you two need me, and if he needs to go home, take him home," Cragen said, giving her a small, sad smile.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Thank you," she said, smiling at her father-like captain and walking out of the door. She walked over to Elliot, who was slumped over his desk, staring at a file that wasn't even opened, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we're going home."

Elliot turned, sharply, and his eyes grew wide. "What? Why, what did he say to you? I can go talk to him, we can…"

"No, El. He's sending us home because he knows you are in no condition to work right now," she said, looking at him with a pained expression. "We'll go home, put on comfy sweats, curl up on the couch with junk food and the remote control, take a nap, and just relax."

Elliot nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He rose from his seat and grabbed his keys, took her hand, and walked her out of the building.

* * *

When they got home, they were surprised to see Kathleen standing in the living room. "Katie, what are you doing home? You should be in school," he said.

"Yeah, and _you_ should be at _work_," she spat, viciously.

Elliot walked over to her. "Okay, Kat. I'm dealing with something right now, so my boss sent me home, _you_ aren't _allowed_ to come home without parental permission, which I didn't give you."

"I ditched, okay? I just didn't feel like being there anymore. Is _this_ what you're dealing with, Dad?" Elliot's heart broke when he saw what she had in her hands. "You know it's all _her_ fault right?" Kathleen said, pointing the letter at Olivia.

"Woah, Katie," Elliot said, hurt and angry, "Your mother doesn't even know Olivia is staying here and it shouldn't affect her decision to want to be in your life, even if she did."

Kathleen laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You're so _stupid_, Dad. That's _not_ what I meant. Mom doesn't want us because she's been _replaced_ and she knows it. She knew _long ago_ that Olivia was _nicer_ and _smarter_ and _better_ at things. At_ everything_ and since we have known her, Dad, she's been a better _mother_ than Mom. She's been to more of our games, and she's the one who's always been with you at Lizzie's concerts, and whenever we had fundraisers she bought things she didn't need or want from us. God, did you even read the last line? Did you?" Kathleen was yelling now, and she threw the letter into Olivia's hands.

Olivia was afraid to look. She peered down at the tear stained letter, the ink blotting onto her fingers, and read, "Elliot, if you think I'm making a mistake, if you think I'm leaving the kids without a mother, I'm not. They have Olivia."

Kathleen was crying harder, and her voice was raspy. "If you would have just been like, a partner, just his partner, then none of this would have happened. If you hadn't been so damn _determined_ to get _close_, and make _him_ fall in love with you, make us _all_ fall in love with you, then_ she_ would still be here."

"Kathleen!" Elliot yelled at his daughter. "Do _not_ blame _her!_"

Olivia dropped the letter to the wooden floor. Elliot reached for her but she moved away. "Katie," she said, "Honey, I'm so…"

"Olivia, don't you _dare_ apologize," Kathleen cried. The young blonde ran into Olivia's arms and squeezed, crying into her chest. Olivia was very confused, but she hugged back and closed her eyes.

"Katie?" she asked, "What are you…"

Kathleen spoke, but didn't let go. "Olivia, if you _hadn't_ done everything you did, if Daddy _hadn't_ fallen in love with you, if we _never_ grew to love you, then _Kathy_ would still be here, and I would be_ stuck_ with a mother who _never wanted_ me in the _first_ place. I'm _glad _she's gone, and I'm glad _you're_ here. You've _always _been here. I've just been too stubborn to see it."

Elliot, Olivia and Kathleen were crying, now, and Olivia felt as if every problem she'd ever had in her entire life had melted away. The days she'd spent trying to skate on the thin ice around Kathleen were over, and now, all four of Elliot's kids were accepting of her. Elliot called the school and told them Kathleen was sick. The three of them spent the day, as Olivia and Elliot had planned to, in sweats, lounging on the couch, sharing a large carton of cookie-dough ice cream and watching funny movies. Kathleen didn't even mind when her Dad pulled Olivia onto his lap and cuddled with her. In fact, it made her smile.

The phone rang, interrupting a particularly maniacal fit of laughter, and Elliot, through his cackling, reached over to the side-table and answered. "Stabler," he said, still chuckling. "Oh, hey, Cap. No, it's charging. Yeah. Oh, wow, no. She didn't tell me, we, uh, had a situation with Kathleen. Fine, now. Okay, go ahead." He listened as Cragen told him what the detectives in Vice had learned from Kathy's interrogation, and what they decided to do with her. He huffed and hung up the phone with a terse, "Thanks, Cap."

"What was that all about?" Olivia asked.

Elliot looked at Kathleen and shifted in his seat. "Kat, honey, could you put this back in the freezer, before it melts?" he asked, hoping to get her out of the room.

"Sure," Kathleen said, grabbing the ice cream and padding toward the kitchen.

"Carter and Fisher picked up Kathy and you didn't tell me?" he asked.

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "El, I…"

"Never mind, I'm not mad, Cragen said that she was a hard nut to crack. She was silent, stubborn. They threatened her, pushed her and then gave her the silent treatment, she said nothing," Elliot said. "It wasn't until they told her that they found nothing but fake pictures and your weekly schedule on Lutz's computer that she flipped. She demanded to see the photos. They told her she could if she told them everything. She did, then they laughed and said she wasn't getting her hands on the photos. She took a swing at Carter. She's being charged with unlawful surveillance in the second degree _and_ assault of an officer."

"Shit," Olivia said. "El, are you…you're laughing."

Elliot nodded, chuckling. "Liv, it's fucking _funny_!" He kissed her, smiling against her lips and chuckling, as Kathleen came back into the room, sat down next to them and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you two," the teen said. "At least pull the blanket over your heads." Kathleen turned her attention to the television as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father do exactly what she just told him to do.

**A/N: Hmm, next chapter? A thing that starts with "J"…? Muahhahahaha! Tomorrow is my birthday! Reviews make awesome gifts!!!! **


	10. He's Jealous Now

**A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDSY TO ME! Reviews are awesome presents ;) So, what starts with J? Read on, my loyal E/O shippers!**

**DISCLAIMER: All characters and cites of SVU belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue (and anything Original) belong to TStabler©**

Olivia woke up happy. She felt, for the first time, that she and Elliot deserved to be happy. She _knew_ that by waking up feeling like she did, she was jinxing the day. She blinked her eyes open and she was stunned to see Elliot staring down at her, smiling widely with his eyes twinkling. "Morning," he said, kissing her.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

"Ten minutes," he said, kissing her again.

She laughed. "And you just decided to do nothing but watch me sleep for those ten minutes?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod, dropping another soft, loving kiss to her lips.

She cupped his face, deepening the kiss a bit, enjoying his taste and his soft chuckles and his light moans. "El," she said between kisses. "We have work."

"I know." He skimmed his hands over her face, running them down her neck, her sides and resting them on her hips as he kissed her one last time. "I love you."

He pulled away, she whimpered and he laughed. "I love you, too," Olivia said, following Elliot out of the bed, and into the shower, where they got a_ very_ pleasant start to a day that would put their ability to separate their relationship from their partnership to one _hell_ of a test.

* * *

They got to the precinct on_ time_, and Fin was the first to star applauding.

"You_ can_ tell time," he joked.

Olivia cocked an eyebrow at him. "_Someone's_ chipper today."

"I, uh, had a _date_ last night. Munch made me take a friend of Alex's out." Fin said, glaring at Munch.

Munch looked appalled. "Don't blame _me_, man. Alex wouldn't go out unless Casey came. Casey wouldn't go unless she had a date."

"Wow," Olivia said. "Casey? Really? Everyone seems to be dating around here. Is there something in the water?"

Munch and Fin laughed. Munch looked at her and said, "Hey, you know, there's a new guy in the D.A's office. Your type, too, Benson. I could have Alex talk to…"

"No," she said sternly. "Absolutely _not."_

"Not all lawyers are like Langan," Fin started. "We just want you to be happy, Baby-Girl. You can't be single for the rest of…"

Olivia turned and raised an eyebrow. "Fin, I'm _not_ single."

Fin and Munch looked at her, wide-eyed. Munch smirked. "Well, who is the lucky bastard? Cop? Lawyer?"

"Um, actually," she said, running toward the coffee pot. "He's a detective."

Cragen stepped out of his office and put an end to the twenty-questions. "Stabler, Benson," he barked. "We have a vic at St. Vincent's. The woman said she knows her attacker, and I want you two to handle this, uh, _respectfully."_

The two detectives bolted out of the precinct, into their car, and sped off toward the hospital. They stormed through the doors of the E.R and spouted their usual introductions, asking for the rape victim, then they were led to an exam room where they found a woman in her thirties, beaten and fearful. She wouldn't say much, she wouldn't give them details, she wouldn't even look them in the eyes. After a half-hour of unanswered questions, they were starting to give up.

"Can you at least tell us who _did_ this to you, Felicia?" Olivia asked gently. "Can you tell me his _name?"_

The shaky woman looked up, blinked back a few tears and looked at Olivia for the first time. "Brian."

"We'll need his _last_ name, too," Elliot said. "We want to make him pay for hurting you like this. Don't you?"

Felicia nodded. "Cassidy. Brian Cassidy." Olivia gasped and Elliot stiffened. Felicia noticed this. She glared at Elliot. "Oh, you know him? He's a cop, so you're not going to do _anything_. Just go, then," she yelled

"Woah," Elliot said. "A rapist is a rapist, cop or not. We're not gonna let him off because he's got a shield. If anything, we'll be harder on him."

Olivia was stunned into silence, remembering the brief fling she'd had with Cassidy. He had been _very_ pushy, almost_ obsessive_, and he wanted_ more_ than she did. She broke it off after a particularly frightening evening. Her refusal to take their relationship further affected him deeply, distracting him, detaching him and forcing him to leave the Special Victims Unit altogether, and he'd been working in Narcotics ever since. She knew he was a little sexually _perverse_, but she never thought he'd_ really_ rape anyone. Especially since he'd worked for SVU and saw, first hand, the damage and brutal trauma rape caused for the vic.

"Thank you," Olivia said when she caught her breath. She pushed passed Elliot and raced out of the doors, determined to find Cassidy and beat the piss out of him.

Elliot finished talking to Felicia and ran after Olivia, knowing what must be going through her mind. He found her outside on her cell phone, getting a location on Cassidy, most likely. She snapped the phone shut and looked at him, ripping the keys from his hands and immediately starting toward the car. "Son of a bitch went to work. He's on a call, Madison Avenue."

"Liv," he called after her. "Calm down."

She yelled back at him as she opened the driver's side door, "I _am_ calm."

* * *

Elliot spent the entire ride to Madison Avenue trying to get her to tell him why she was _angry_. He knew that they'd slept together, once, during Olivia's first year at the 1-6, but was it really a _reason_ to take this so personally? There was something she wasn't telling him.

The car screeched to a halt and the two detectives sprang out and flashed their badges to the other officers who littered the scene. "Sex crimes?" one uniformed man asked. "Ain't no rape vic or kid here, no one called you."

"No, we're here to pick up a _suspect_," Elliot said.

"Where can we find Detective Cassidy?" Olivia said, furrowing her brow and smirking.

The cop looked at them funny. "Inside, but you can't…"

"Watch me," Olivia said. She stalked into the building and knew, right away, that it was him, walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around and his face contorted into confusion, fear, wonderment and arousal. "Olivia?"

"Brian Cassidy," she said with a light simper.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in years! You look amazing."

"Thanks," she said. "And _you_ look like you're _under arrest_ for the rape of Felica Donahue. You have the right to remain silent…"

Cassidy yelped as she cuffed him. "What? Olivia, that's _crazy_! You _know_ me! You know I would _never_…"

"Actually, after _thinking_ about it, I think maybe you _would_. With me, you kind of, almost _did!_" she yelled. Elliot coughed and his eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, he almost did _what_ now?" he asked stepping closer and pulling Cassidy out of Olivia's hands.

Cassidy scoffed. "Oh, come _on_. You _wanted_ it, Olivia. We were still _together_, you were just a little _confused_."

"Yeah, I wanted it so _badly_ that I had to pull my gun on you to get you to leave, right? Let's go," she said, ignoring the questioning look she was getting from Elliot as he finished reading Cassidy his rights.

* * *

Throughout the entire interrogation, Elliot had to keep reminding himself that, right now, Olivia was his _partner,_ and he couldn't get _personal_, and _nothing_ about _their_ lives should be brought into this. He had to _concentrate_, _focus_ on what Cassidy did to Felicia. It was hard to do when Cassidy was licking his lips and making snarky, suggestive comments at Olivia every two minutes.

"Okay, you jackass," Olivia said. "We do not have all day. She already pinned it on you, and Munch and Fin finally got her to agree to an exam. Your DNA is gonna be all over her, your handprints are going to be on her arms from where you held her down," she snapped as she leaned over the table and scowled at him. "You know Elliot, and you know me. We're stubborn and we do not play well with others. You can talk, or we can _make_ you talk."

"We?" he asked. "That's an awful lot of _teamwork_, Olivia. You used to be so _independent_. Has he done something to you? _With_ you?" Cassidy looked up at Elliot. "Finally learned how to control the little_ bitch,_ huh? How'd you _do_ it, Stabler? Because I failed _miserably_."

Elliot wanted to throttle the vapid pain-in-the-ass, but this time, he knew that Munch, Fin, and two men from IAB were watching from behind the glass, it wasn't just Cragen. "We've been partners for _eight years_, now, asshole. There is no 'her' or 'me' there's just an 'us', and we're_ both_ gonna kick your sorry ass into next Tuesday if you don't tell us your side of the story, because we have Felicia's, and it doesn't look good for you."

"Huh, I thought, by now, you'd have, uh, _tamed_ her, if you know what I'm saying," he quipped with a snide look at Elliot. "Fine, I nailed the little bitch," he looked up into Olivia's eyes and said, "I kissed her, and I held her, and I closed my eyes and I thought she was you."

Elliot moved forward, forcefully, with his fists clenched, but the door swung open and Cragen and Tucker, from IAB, stepped in. "Detectives, job well done. You're free to go," Tucker said. "We'll take it from here."

Olivia looked at Cragen and nodded, thankfully, and he nodded back, an unspoken understanding passed between them that the interruption had just saved their partnership and Elliot's ass.

* * *

"You know we have to talk about it," Elliot said, "Now."

Olivia put her fork down, and backed away from the table. "Okay, what?"

"I thought you and Cassidy…" he paused, breathing, blinking. "I thought he was a _one-night-stand_. When I figured out you had slept with him, you said it was only once…"

"El," she sighed. "It was only once _then_. I didn't feel_ obligated_ to give you a play-by-play of my _sex-life_! It was, maybe, three times in total, then I broke it off with him."

Elliot snorted. "Okay," he said. "So, what did he try to do you, baby? How close did he _get_?" Elliot reached across the table in the crowded restaurant, took her hand and held it gently. "_Tell _me."

She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "He came back to my place, drunk, one night. I opened the door and he pounced. Nothing terrible, just really sloppy kissing and running his hands all over me. I told him to get off, told him to stop. He wouldn't. He grabbed my arm, hard, and squeezed. He told me I wanted it, and to 'just relax'. I pulled my gun on him, then he left."

Elliot let out a sigh of relief. "So, he didn't…"

"No, not even close, El." Olivia chuckled lightly.

"Jesus, Liv, when you said that he 'kind of almost did', the_ worst_ possible scenarios were running through my head." He furrowed his brow and cocked his head at her. "Why didn't you tell me? You know I would have kicked his ass."

She laughed. "Uh, no. you would have _killed_ him. And, at the time, we had only been partners for a year, I had a huge crush on you so I would have felt really _awful _talking about some guy who couldn't _get over_ me. You were, I _assumed_, happy at home with your _wife_, I didn't want to bother you with my problems. I didn't start intruding and burdening you with my personal shit until our_ second _year together." She smiled and winked at him. "Besides, Cassidy left three days later, so it was kind of a moot point."

"You wouldn't have been intruding or burdening, I had a huge crush on you, too, you know that, now," he said, smiling brightly at her. "I think we should, um, _tell_ people."

"What?" Olivia said, her smile fading.

Elliot got up and slid his chair next to her, close, and touched his forehead to hers. "I've decided, that since I become an insane freak when anyone, _anyone_, even _suggests _that you date someone who_ isn't me,_ we should tell people that we _are_ together. I have almost _killed_ two people out of sheer jealousy and anger because they had impure _thoughts_ about you, baby. Today, when Munch wanted to set you up with that new lawyer, I wanted to throw him through the window. And tonight, I had to remind myself, over and over again, that I had a _job_ to do and to _ignore_ my feelings. If that door didn't open when it did, Liv, I would have knocked Cassidy clear through the glass." He kissed her, tenderly, and it grew in intensity as he felt her emotions rise. "Christ, baby, if we don't tell people, if _I _don't tell people that you're _mine_ and they _can't_ have you and to back _the fuck_ off, someone is _going_ to die."

"Okay," she said. "Tomorrow. You tell Fin and Munch. I'll tell Alex and Casey." She kissed him, and looked into his eyes. "El?"

He nuzzled her nose. "Yeah, baby?"

She smirked at him. "You are incredibly sexy when you're jealous."

**A/N: K is for…? Review and guess?! Leave some birthday love! Thank you so much for reading!!**


	11. They Know Now

**A/N: How do their friends react? One of them is a little, uh, unsupportive. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. Storyline, dialogue, narrative and originality belong to TStabler©**

"Okay, Olivia, I only have twenty minutes, so let's pray this slow-ass waiter hurries the hell up with our lunch and you can tell us what you need to tell us," Alex said as she chugged her water.

"Alex," Casey said, sipping her iced tea, "We are having lunch with our best friend, why are you in such a hur...you told Munch you'd meet him, too, didn't you?"

Alex paled, and nodded limply. "He was so persistent, I couldn't say no. I'm sorry, Benson. Could you just kind of, I dunno, give me the abridged version so I can go meet John?"

Olivia sighed, with a disbelieving smile and a shake of her head. "Okay, so, you know how I've been avoiding every date you've tried to set me up on? Sudden colds? Headaches? My fear of Red Lobster?"

Casey nodded. "You need to see an allergist, a therapist, and I'm running out of single, male friends, Olivia!"

"I haven't been sick and I don't have a phobia of tacky seafood restaurants. I've um, I've been seeing someone."

"For _eight fucking months_? And you haven't introduced us to him? We had no idea! That is both rude and incredibly impressive!" Casey held out her hand and gave Olivia a high five as the girls laughed.

Alex shook her head. "I don't believe you. I think you just want us to stop trying to set you up so you can pine away for Stabler for the rest of your..."

"Oh, my Jimmy Choo!" cried Casey. "It is Stabler, isn't it?"

Olivia smirked, Casey laughed and Alex choked on her water. "Yeah," Olivia said, smiling impishly, with bright eyes. "But, you guys, please don't judge me. It wasn't an affair, really. I mean, we kissed, a lot, but it wasn't..."

"Olivia," Casey said, moving her glass so the waiter could put down her salad. "I swear to God, even if the man hung you upside down from the ceiling fan in the cribs and fucked you senseless on his _wedding day_, I wouldn't judge you. You've been in love with him since the day you met, and Lord knows he's had it bad for you for just as long. This is _fanfuckingtastic_!"

Alex bit into her sandwich and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Benson. I know how you feel about him, but, I hope you get him out of your system soon."

"Excuse me?" Olivia and Casey said at the same time.

"I know we spent a lot of time joking about how you two act like a married couple and treat each other like you're in a relationship, but that was before I knew you were actually in one! He's an arrogant, pig-headed, violent control-freak. Not to mention he _cheated_ on his wife, so odds are, when he gets bored with you, and finds someone new and shiny, he's going to do the same thing to you. Elliot Stabler is nothing but trouble Olivia. _Think_ about this," Alex said, pleading with her friend through her glasses.

Olivia, taken aback, hurt and shaken by Alex's brutal honesty, shuffled her salad around on her plate. "I think you should just go meet Munch."

"Oh, shit. Yeah," the blonde attorney muttered. "I love you, Olive Oil. I don't wanna see you get hurt. If you trust him, if you love him, then great, I'm happy that you're happy. But, I _can't _be happy about _this_." She got up, tossed a fifty-dollar-bill on the table and stalked off down the street.

Olivia and Casey looked at each other, confused and very upset, unsure if they should mention this to Elliot or not.

"Her sandwich was only nine bucks," Casey said, picking up the money. "Thanks for buying lunch, you Satanic, blonde, frigid bitch." She forked a bite of salad into her mouth, smirking, as Olivia laughed, thanking her lucky stars that she had Casey.

* * *

"Elliot, if you don't tell us what you _came_ here to tell us, I'm gonna leave," Munch said, tapping his foot.

"Man, we get _an hour_ for lunch. Why are you in such a...you told Alex you'd meet with her, didn't ya?" Fin asked. "Elliot said this was _important!"_

Munch sighed. "I know, but I don't get to see her a lot and this was the first day in weeks that we had the same lunch break!"

"Okay," Elliot said with a chuckle. "You guys know that Kathy and I have, uh..."

Fin interrupted. "Finally put your dying marriage out of its misery. Yeah, we know. Thank the Lord, all you two did was fight. You guys really didn't get along."

"I know, thank you, Captain Obvious," Elliot said smirking at Fin. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys that I'm not upset, I'm happier that I have ever been in my entire life, and I'm seeing someone."

"Stabler's on the rebound? With who?" Munch asked.

Elliot shook his head as he drank his soda. "No, _not_ a rebound. It, _kind of_ started _before_ I was _actually_ divorced. I'm in love with her."

Fin leaned back in his chair and looked at Elliot, knowlingly. "It's about fucking time, man."

"What are you talking about, 'it's about time'? The man's only been divorced for like _a second_!" Munch said, mocking, and shocked at Fin.

"Munch, you dope. He's in love with Benson!" Fin shouted.

Munch snickered until he saw Elliot's serious expression. "Wait, Elliot, Fin's right?"

"Yeah. Guys, um, I've been...Liv and I are together. Very much together. It's serious." Elliot said, bringing his glass to his lips again.

"Yeah, so I heard." Alex appeared next to Munch and glared at Elliot.

"So, I guess Liv told you and Casey," Elliot said, unsure of the reason behind the harsh glare.

Alex nodded. "I would say congratulations, if I thought this was an auspicious occasion. Seeing that I trust you about as far as I can throw you, it isn't gonna happen."

"Hey, Cabot," Fin said. "What's up your ass?"

"Olivia has had enough shit go wrong in her life. She doesn't need to have the one person she's ever been able to trust..." she paused, she felt tears welling up, but she swallowed back hard and looked, coldly, at Elliot. "If you _hurt_ her, if _you _cause her any _pain_ at all, it will _break _her. You _know _that, right? You've been the only _stable_ thing in her life, keeping her _up_, for the past eight years, besides me and Casey, and I _refuse_ to stand by and watch _you_ be the thing that _destroys_ her."

Elliot's blue eyes flecked and flashed white with anger, but he kept his temper in check. "Alex, I would _never_ do _anything _to hurt her. _She's _been the only stable thing in _my_ life, too. If _she_ ever hurt _me_, which I know she _wont_, it _would kill_ me. I'm _not_ going to _hurt _her. Why do you think we decided to tell you everything? Keeping this a secret _was_ hurting her. She hated the lying and the sneaking around. Do you know she lives with me? Did she tell you she's helping me raise my kids? We are _completely _serious, and I swear to God, if I'm ever stupid and reckless enough to do anything that _does _hurt her, Alex, you can kill me yourself."

"Don't worry, I will." Alex stormed off and Munch, shrugging apologetically, ran after her.

"See," Fin said. "That's why she's with Munch. Only someone obsessed with conspiracies could possibly love a woman who is _clearly_ an alien."

Elliot shook his head. "No, Fin," he said. "She's just looking out for Liv, in her own way."

* * *

They went back to the precinct and met up with Olivia in the hallway. Fin gave her a warm hug. "Hey, Baby-Girl. Elliot told me. You two were meant for each other," he said with a wink as he stepped into the bullpen.

"So, you told him and Munch, huh?" she asked. "Did either of _your_ friends turn into the devil and predict the impending horrible death of our relationship?"

Elliot snickered. "No, but Alex _did_ show up _and_ she gave me a piece of her mind. She cares about you, baby."

"She cares about me? Then why the hell did she break my heart during lunch?" Olivia looked up at Elliot with love and sadness in her eyes. "She told me to get you out of my system. She called you an arrogant, pig-headed, violent control-freak. Then she said that you're going to get bored with me and run off with someone 'new and shiny', just like you did to Kathy."

Elliot peered down at her. "And you believed her?"

"Of course not! But, hearing one of my best friends actually _say_ those things, El, it scared me and it hurt and I wanted so badly to jump up and yell and tell her how wrong she was. But, you know why I didn't?"

"You were in the middle of a crowded cafe?" he guessed, placing a delicate kiss on her nose.

She laughed. "No, though that _would_ have been mildly embarrassing. I didn't do it, because I don't have to _defend_ myself, or _us_, to _anyone_. Not anymore. I'm _madly_ in love with you, I'm happy with you, and you are the best _morally wrong_ decision I have _ever _made. I love my life with you and the kids and I know that you're never going to hurt me, because it's your _job_ to _keep me_ from _getting_ hurt," she grinned, kissing him. "Alex is going to have to get used to you, and to _us_, because you're not going _anywhere_. I'm not letting you go."

Elliot laughed and looked up and down the hall, grinning, then, when he was sure no one was around, he snaked a hand around her and pulled her into the nearest closet and yanked her close into an all-consuming kiss, pinning her to the wall. It was brief, but intense. "I love you, Liv, with everything I am, everything I have, my heart, body and soul."

"The things you do to me with words, El, _are _considered sex crimes. You're under arrest," she whispered.

"Oh, good, if you have your cuffs, we could get a little kinky," he quipped, capturing her lips again as they both laughed.

She pulled away and sighed, looking into his eyes. "I love you, El, but we have to get back to work. I'll read you your rights later. You know these handcuffs _always_ come home with me," she said with a wink as she walked out of the tiny storage space and into the squadroom across the hall. Elliot smirked, slowly, as he straightened his tie and followed her.

**A/N: Wow, Alex. Way to be harsh, but I got ya. Now, what could L be? Reviews? Thoughts? **


	12. He Lecture's Now

**A/N: Only a man in love would do this. Honestly.**

**DISCLAIMER:** **All SVU characters belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue and anything Original belong to TStabler©**

Olivia was getting worried. It wasn't like Elliot to be late. Especially, not since they'd ridden to work together. He let her walk into the precinct by herself, said he had someone he needed to see, then he ran down the street. That was twenty minutes ago.

* * *

He was in the hallway, watching irritated client after irritated client filter in and out of the room in front of him. Finally, he just pushed the door open. She glared at him, harshly, and folded her arms. "Stabler, get out. This is a..."

"I need to say something to you," he said, stepping further into the room.

Alex tried to hold him off. "I think _I _said everything I needed to say to _you_," she spat.

He pushed her aside and stood in front of her desk. "Alex, I don't get it. I thought we were friends! I thought you'd be happy for me and Liv. What you said yesterday? You really hurt her. You broke her heart. It wasn't because she _believed_ you. Thank God, she _didn't_. It was because _you're_ supposed to be one of her best friends, and..."

"No, Stabler, her best friend! I'm supposed to be her _best friend_!" Alex yelled.

"No, Alex, _I _am, actually. A _lover _is a lot more than someone you _sleep with_, which _is_, let's _face_ it, all I was to Kathy. All she was to _me_, for the last _eight years_. Olivia is _my_ best friend, my partner, my _life._ I can't _breathe _when she's not with me, I can't _think_ when she's gone and when she's _hurt_, I _die_. You've known me for all these years, and you haven't _seen_ that?"

Alex paled. Maybe Elliot really did love her. "Elliot, you have to..."

"No, Alex, I don't. I only came here because _you_ are important to _her_. _She_ is important to _me_. I, personally, am ready to write you off as just another person I don't need in my life. Liv didn't say anything to you yesterday because she's tired of trying _to defend_ this. We've been making _excuses_ and covering our tracks for so damn long and we're sick of it. Yeah, I'm a hot-headed asshole. Yes, I'm a control-freak. But, have you spent _any_ time with me when I'm around Liv and we're _not _interrogating someone, in court or going over evidence? _Outside _of work, _Ms. Cabot_, I happen to be a pretty nice guy. I'm not hot-headed with Liv and I would _never_ try to control her _or_ my kids," he paused to take a breath. He didn't realize that he'd been yelling until he saw the shock and awe in Alex's face.

"Elliot, I didn't..."

"Christ, Alex, you _told_ her I would _leave_ her for someone else because I did it to Kathy! I left Kathy for _her_! Olivia's been the _only _one on my mind, the only _person _I really wanted, for the last _eight_ years. It took me seven years and four months to grow the balls to kiss her, despite being married, because I couldn't _take_ it anymore. You _really_ think that now that I _have_ her I'm gonna throw her away? After every thing we had to go through to _be _together? I can not _believe_ you went to Harvard," he said quietly. "None of us batted an eyelash when you blurted out that you were seeing _Munch_. I kept my mouth_ shut_, even though I think you're both fucking _crazy_. What do I have to do to prove that I'm serious? That this is forever? What's it gonna take to get you trust me?"

Alex looked at him and shrugged. "Stabler, you just did it. Unfortunately, you did it while I was in a meeting." She held her hand out to the leather chairs.

Elliot turned around and swallowed hard. Sitting in the chairs in front of Alex's desk were Judge Donnelly and Tervor Langan. "Oh," he said sheepishly. "Oh, boy."

* * *

Elliot walked through the squadroom doors, finally, an hour late. Cragen yelled at him, but Elliot just nodded dumbly and sat at his desk.

"Where the hell were you?" Olivia asked.

Elliot grinned and shook his head. "You know Judge Donnelly wants us to name out first daughter Elizabeth? I told her that I already _have_ a daughter named Elizabeth and do you know what she said?"

Olivia blinked once. "Elliot, what are you talking about?"

"She said we could call her _Elizabeth the Second_. Like the Queen of England," Elliot said, sipping the cold coffee on his desk.

"Are you feeling okay?" She reached over and felt his cheeks. "You don't have a fever."

Elliot laughed. "I went to see, um, a friend. At the courthouse. About a case. And I ran into Donnelly and Langan. They were talking about the conditions of his reinstatement. I ended up telling her, accidentally, that we were seeing each other, and she adjusted Langan's terms. Originally, he was going to be relegated to Major Case and Vice crimes cases. To keep him away from us. But, since he was _right_, just _unethical_, she's letting him keep Special Victims. We _still _have to deal with him. But, my point is, the judge is _happy_ for us. The fucking _judge_, that we _despise_, is _thrilled_ and Alex isn't."

"Wasn't," a voice from behind him said.

"Elliot, you left out the part where you stormed into my office and chewed my ass out," Alex said as she stepped over to their desks. "Olivia, you should have seen him. In all his hot-headed glory, spouting the most romantic, heartfelt speech I have ever heard. You were right, Elliot, I _don't_ know you well enough, outside of what I see when you're _Detective Stabler,_ to really know who you are or why she loves you. But, after what you did, the risk you took and the set of brass ones you have on you, I know you love her. I was wrong. I'm still very wary of this whole thing, but, I'm willing to, at least, support you. We should go out. Tonight. Give me a chance to meet the real Elliot, and see who he is with his _'Liv'_." Alex put a hand on Olivia's shoulder and squeezed. "I'm so sorry Olive Oil. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Olivia rose out of her chair and hugged her friend. "Thank you," she said.

"Thank your _best friend_," Alex said, nodding at Elliot. "He's very convincing. The six of us, Malloy's pub, ten o'clock." Alex nodded and walked out of the bullpen.

Olivia looked at Elliot with tears in her eyes. "You went to talk to her?"

"I knew _you_ wouldn't," he said with a shrug.

She bent down and kissed him lightly on his cheek. "I love you, so much," she whispered to him. "So, so, so, much."

* * *

"Okay, so this is what? A _triple_ date?" Fin asked, linking hands with Casey.

"No, Fin, I think it's just a group of friends, who happen to be couples, hanging out at a bar," Casey said, patting his hand gently.

Alex was watching, intently, as Elliot and Olivia cuddled in their seats, kissed every chance they got and never let go of each other's hands. She had never seen Olivia smile so much and she had never seen Elliot so calm.

"They really are in love, huh?" she asked, leaning over to Munch.

Munch nodded and popped a pretzel into his mouth. "From day one."

"Hey," Casey said. "So, now that we know about you two, and you are _clearly_ unafraid of a little PDA, how did this _start_?"

Elliot chuckled and Olivia rested her head on his shoulder. "El, it's your story. Tell 'em," she said, dropping a small peck to his neck.

"Well, uh, you guys know that Wednesday night had always been our night. We'd get together at her place, dinner and a movie, and just vent about the week. Anything that had pent up about cases, vics, perps, one of you who annoyed the shit out of us, she had to listen to me bitch and moan about my loveless marriage all the time." Elliot took a swig of his beer as the table nodded, eager for him to get to the point.

"I stopped listening to that part after a while. Jealousy Green is not a good color on me," Olivia quipped. Elliot turned and kissed her, then faced the table. "Well," he continued, "One night, after we'd eaten, we got to talking and I looked at her and I don't know what i was thinking but I told her that there had been something pissing me off for the last eight years."

"I thought he was going to tell me I was a horrible partner or something," Olivia said, drinking from her glass. "But, then he..."

"Do you wanna tell it?" Elliot asked, smirking. She shook her head and told him to go on. "Thank you, baby. So, she asked me what it was, and I told her that it drove me mad that I had to look at her, be with her, every minute, every day and I wasn't allowed to love her the way I wanted to. I saw the look she was giving me and I froze. I had said that all out loud and I took a deep breath and realized, I didn't care. She asked me how I wanted to love her, I remember smiling at her, but I also remember shaking like a leaf. I was about to cheat on my wife and kiss the woman of my dreams all in the same moment. I looked into her eyes and said..."

"Like no one has ever loved you before, Liv," Olivia said, gazing lovingly at him.

Elliot looked at her, falling into the deep pools of dark chocolate. "Yeah," he said with an amorous smile. "Then I kissed her, praying she wouldn't push me away or punch me, and when she wrapped her arms around me, that's when I knew it was all over. I was hers. The end," he said, kissing Olivia delicately. "Then she _forbid_ me to say the _'L-word'_ until i got divorced, or it would be an _affair_."

Olivia broke away, rested her forehead against his and turned her eyes, only slightly, toward the table. "Alex, are you..._crying_?"

The blonde lawyer nodded a little and sniffled, then wiped her eyes with a napkin. "That, uh, wasn't what I expected. That was actually _romantic_ and it sounds...well, I mean, it _doesn't_ sound like the beginning of an affair," she said, still sniffling.

Elliot sighed. "I was trying to tell you yesterday, Alex. Olivia and I were not _having_ an affair. Not really. Was I married? Yes, but only legally. My heart was with Liv, since the moment I laid eyes on her. Everything with her has always been more real, and more passionate, than anything either of us has ever had before."

"What were you expecting, Alex?" Casey asked. "Just out of curiosity."

Alex sipped her drink. "Honestly? I was expecting some torrid tale of how he got her drunk and ravaged her on her couch," she said, her straw between her teeth.

Olivia laughed. "No, Alex, he was a perfect gentlemen. It was actually nothing but kissing that whole first night."

"_Nothing_ else?" Casey asked, seeming disappointed.

"Nope," Elliot said. "Our relationship progressed slowly, naturally, like any normal one would. We were too important to each other to rush things. Not to mention, I was married. It was hard, it was furtive and sneaky, and with work we just couldn't risk pushing it."

Munch and Fin looked at each other. "You weren't _that_ sneaky," Fin said. "You two were _clearly _in love, you just took a long time gettin' to where you needed to be."

"So did I," said Alex. "But, I'm here now, and I see it. You two, I hope you make each other this happy for a very long time. I _will_ still kill you if you hurt her, Stabler."

Munch tapped his girlfriend on the arm. "We all will, Al. And we'll be pretty mad at Benson if she hurts him."

"But, it ain't gonna happen," Fin said. "Trust me."

The gang spent a few more hours drinking and laughing, forgetting momentarily that they were the people responsible for putting away dangerous criminals, in a dangerous city. And as the detectives and lawyers who handled sex-crimes were celebrating true love and friendship, one of those crimes was being committed a few blocks away, and it would affect _all_ of them.

**A/N: Uh-oh. Cliffhanger! Duh, like, what else is new. Review!!!**


	13. The Masks Come Off Now

**A/N: Sometimes even someone you despise needs your help, and when its your job, you give it to them. **

**DISCLAIMER:** **All SVU characters belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue and anything Original belong to TStabler©**

Elliot's phone rang first. Followed by Olivia's only half a second later. Munch's and Fin's rang at the same time. Casey and Alex looked at each other as if they were the only two girls in school who didn't just get invited to the biggest party of the year. Until _their_ phones rang, too.

"Holy shit," Olivia said, hanging up her phone.

Fin nodded. "Didn't see that one coming."

"I did," Munch said. "But in _my_ mind it was an alien abduction, and when they gave her back she had _two heads_."

"Munch!" Olivia yelled. "_So_ not the time, man," Elliot added, rubbing his girlfriend's back.

They all stood up to leave, tossing the money for their bill onto the table in a neat pile. Alex looked around at the faces, which had gone from jovial to pissed and somber in less than thirty seconds with one phone call. "Guys," she said. "Are you all sober?"

"We are _now_," Elliot confirmed. It was true. Getting that phone call had done wonders for snapping them out of their temporary delusions that the world was a good place in which to live.

* * *

They all arrived at the location, met up with Cragen, three uniforms, and a rep from the D.A.'s office. Munch and Fin walked over to their captain, nodding at Olivia and Elliot as they parted. Alex and Casey headed toward Jack McCoy, their supervisor, who looked more pissed than concerned. Olivia and Elliot, his hand on her shoulder, pushing her through the crowd and the chaos, made their way over to the ambulance and the vic. Her face was almost unrecognizable. This was terribly _personal_.

"Your Honor," Olivia said, unsure of the level of propriety this situation called for.

"Please, Benson, I'm nobody's _honor _right now. Liz," she muttered through her split lip.

"Okay, Liz. Did you see the man who did this to you?" Olivia asked, resting a comforting hand on Donnelly's knee.

She shook her head. "It was so dark, I couldn't even see my keys. That's why I stopped. I had to fish through my bag under the streetlight. But, he must have followed me for a while. I heard footsteps, almost the whole way from the courtroom door to my car."

"Do you know _anyone_ who'd want to _hurt_ you?" Elliot asked, his brow furrowed.

"Well, Stabler, do _you_ have an alibi? What about Fin, or Munch? Ask _McCoy._ That man hates that I'm his direct equal. I think my _dry cleaner_ could have done this, Elliot. I'm _not_ a nice woman, and _none_ of _you_ can _stand_ me," she admitted, almost proudly. Then, she hung her head. "But, no. To be honest, I _don't _know anyone who would want to _hurt_ me. Not _this_ way, not at all." A tear rolled down her bruised cheek.

"Liz, we need you to tell us what happened. Can you do that?" Olivia asked.

"Christ, Benson, I don't _know _what happened. It all went down so fast. And he hit me in the face the moment I turned around. I'll tell you all I can, but I..."

Elliot interrupted. "Liz, we _understand_. Please, we don't want to push you, we're only here to help. You can come into the station and give us a statement when you're ready. Just tell us what you're _comfortable_ telling us." He looked at her, remembering her heartfelt joy at the news of his relationship with Liv, and he smiled. He broke victim protocol, only for a moment. " Or, don't tell us _anything_. Just know that Liv and I are here. We're here for you, Liz." He grabbed her bruised, sore hand, gently, and was surprised when she squeezed.

"Now, how come I don't see _this side_ of Elliot Stabler in court?" she joked.

"Because," he said. "This side of Elliot Stabler is reserved for _friends_."

Olivia looked up at Elliot and softened. God, she_ loved_ him. Then, she peered across at the woman, who was usually so strong-willed, defiant, powerful, and she shook her head. After eight years on the job, she _finally_ understood _why_ Cragen had told her _what _he told her on her first day. _"We don't get to pick the vic." _

* * *

They'd gone through four pots of Munch's crap coffee, and Fin had made two runs to the cart outside, and it _still_ wasn't enough. It was now six-fifteen in the morning, and they had no leads, other than a handprint from around Donnelly's neck, the perp wore gloves, but he squeezed her enough to leave the impression of a ring. Whoever did this wore a ring on his right hand.

"That narrows it down to _eighty percent_ of the men living in New York. We're _really_ making strides in this case," Olivia said, sarcastically, choking back the sludge from the bullpen pot.

Munch took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. "Warner's running _everything _she can, twice. She's waiting on DNA, and Donnelly scratched the bastard so hopefully we'll get a hit. If he's a city employee, a soldier, or an ex-con we'll get him."

"And if he's not, what? We go door to door and say 'Open your mouth and say _ahhh_?'" Casey quipped. "Your coffee sucks, by the way."

"_You_ make it next time, Novak," Munch teased, tossing a pencil at her.

Chuckles escaped, but so did yawns. Cragen squeezed the bridge of his nose together. "Okay. We've been at this for hours. None of you slept because I know you went out. Thanks for the invite, by the way. Lead Detectives _first_, sorry, Munch. Stabler, Benson. Two hours up in the cribs. Go," he said. He looked at Elliot as the detective got out of his seat and pointed a finger. "Uh, _sleep_."

Elliot blushed, Olivia smirked, and the rest of the bullpen snickered. "If we get anythin', learn anythin' or what, someone'll...yell very loudly, or call your cells, cause ain't no one _goin'_ up there!" Fin teased.

Once inside the cribs, Olivia wasn't messing around, she was exhausted. She plopped into the first bunk she saw and scooted over, claiming her side of the bed, the way she did at home. She looked up at Elliot, who was still standing, and made a whining, groaning, impatient noise.

"Okay," he chuckled. "I'm coming." He took off his jacket and tie, laying them on the top bunk, and climbed in next to her, wrapping his arms around her, cuddling her close, heaving a contented sigh. "Now, _this_ is the _life_. I could do this _forever_," he said, closing his eyes and placing a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

"Mmm hmmm," she responded, nuzzling further into his muscular arms and chest, half asleep already.

He skimmed his hands lightly down her hair, over and over, stroking her into a slumber, kissing her forehead. "You _can_ give me _forever_, right, baby?"

"Mmm hmmm," she said, nodding with a smile. "Longer."

He chuckled. "I hope you've forgotten _all _about _every_ guy you've _ever_ been with, baby, because I gotta tell you, I can't remember_ shit_ about Kathy, except how much I_ hated_ that she wasn't _you,_ and how much I wanted to _rip_ that _ring_ off her finger and put it on _yours_. I would _stare_ at her hand and _cringe_."

Olivia's eyes shot open and she popped up, as if startled. "Oh, my God! Holy shit!" She saw flashes of a hand giving her flowers, waving a bag of tacos at her, gesticulating at her accusatorily while putting her love-live on trial illegally and immorally, and then holding her own, trying to apologize. She remembered gazing at the ring when he asked her out, wondering why he was asking, what Elliot would think if she said yes, wondering why Elliot would _have the right_ to think anything at all. Her face contorted and her hand shot to her mouth in shock.

Elliot panicked. Was it something he said? "Baby? You okay? I didn't mean it...I take it back...but, I meant it, though."

"Shut up," she smacked him, playfully. "Nothing to do with what you said." She climbed over him, and ran toward the door, but then paused, turned around and ran back to him, giving him a powerful, emtionally and sexually charged kiss that heightened every one of his senses and nerves, awakening him instantly. "I love you," she said, pulling away slowly, smiling amorously at him.

"_Yeah_, you do," he replied, a drugged look on his face. "I love you, too, baby."

Olivia ran down the stairs and barreled into the bullpen, picking up her phone. She dialed down to Warner. "Mel? Benson. I _know_ you know, I just _have_ to say it. Listen, did you get a hit on the DNA? Running searches now, huh? Narrow it down. Run it against only Public Defense and District Attorneys."

"Wait," Alex said, hopping off Munch's desk. "You think one of _us_ did this? One of her own _employees_?"

Olivia nodded, holding a finger to her mouth to tell Alex to be quiet as Elliot walked up behind her, his lips still tingling from that kiss.

Olivia smirked as Melinda began talking again. "Yeah, well, _those_ are a bit more _explicit_ than the words _I _used when I realized it, but I_ know_. Something Elliot said about remembering details about people we've dated and then he mentioned _rings_ and _cringing_ and it all added up to...yeah, well the man makes me_ cringe_! Thank you, Mel." Olivia hung up the phone and all eyes were on her.

"Olivia!" Cragen shouted. "What?"

"DNA's been confirmed. I think Munch and Fin better go pick him though, because if one of _us_ goes within _six feet_ of the son of a bitch, he's not making it back here alive," she said, folding her arms, turning her eyes toward Elliot.

Cragen rolled his eyes. "Benson, _who_ raped Donnelly?"

"Trevor Langan," Elliot said, never taking his eyes of Olivia. She nodded, slowly, as Cragen ran into his office to call Jack McCoy. "Munch, Fin, you heard Benson. Go get him," he yelled as his door slammed.

Fin pecked Casey on the lips as he ran out, Munch gave Alex a quick kiss on the forehead as he followed Fin, and Elliot stepped closer to Olivia, wrapping an arm around her. All they could do now was wait. Wait for the boys to get back with Langan, wait for Donnelly to come in for a full statement, and wait for the moment, for Olivia and Elliot, when it was possible to _fully trust_ the people in their life.

They'd find out, very soon, that that moment _would_ come rather unexpectedly, at an incredibly awkward time.

**A/N: Ohh, so what are their pals planning? You gotta want it! Reviews??**


	14. No, Not Right Now

**A/N: Friends are always there for you. Even when they probably**_** shouldn't**_** be. **

**DISCLAIMER:** **All SVU characters belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue and anything Original belong to TStabler©**

Donnelly was in the first interrogation room with Olivia and Elliot, giving her full statement, in detail. She decided that these were the only two people in the unit she trusted. With good reason, in fact. Trevor Langan was in the second room, being handed his own ass by Munch and Fin. He had a smirk on his face and kept twirling his ring around his finger. He answered every question with a question and grunted when the detectives made statements. He was a damn good lawyer. A horrible excuse for a human being, but a damn good lawyer.

After talking to Donnelly for over an hour, Olivia and Elliot walked her out into the squadroom, consoling her as they handed her off to a uniformed officer. They turned to walk back to their desks and saw Ed Tucker, IAB Sergeant, sitting in Olivia's chair, his feet up on her blotter. "Comfortable?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and folding her arms over her chest.

"Very, thanks," the bastard replied, smugly. "You two seem to have gotten implicated, by Langan, in this little scandal, for the very same reason I got an angry phone call from your stalker-hiring ex-wife once upon a time, Stabler. Something you two wanna tell me, before I just start taking badges?" Tucker asked, smirking and twirling Olivia's pen between his fingers.

"We're easy targets," Elliot said. "We're close. It's believable, so the people who have grudges against one of us instantly use that. Honestly, Tucker, you're _one_ of them!"

"Yeah," Tucker said with a reverent sigh. "I am. Which is why I am going to enjoy finally splitting you two up."

"Hold on a minute," Alex said, from her place in the back of the squadroom, near the coffee pot. "Have they done something _wrong?_ Have they jeopardized a case in any way? Have they, in the last eight months, lost a conviction, dropped the ball, mishandled a vic?"

Tucker scoffed. "No. Not at…wait, eight _months_?" He grinned at the two detectives.

Elliot's eyes widened. "Thank you so much, Alex," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Nice," Tucker shouted. "This is going to be easier than I thought. Fraternization in the first degree, because now it's a _long-term_ relationship. Cabot, I could kiss you."

Munch came out of the interrogation room. "Langan folded. Only after Fin threatened to…what's going on out here. Tucker?"

"Hello, John. You're just in time. Choose your new partner. You want the hot-headed bastard or the sympathetic bitch?" Tucker flinched when Olivia lunged at him, but Elliot grabbed her and pulled her back.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Munch asked, puzzled.

Tucker laughed evilly. "A moment I have been waiting for, for the last six years, since these two began giving me nothing but grief. Say 'bye-bye' to 'Benson and Stabler'."

"Now, wait one fucking minute, Tucker!" Munch got in his face, forcing Tucker to rise out of his seat. "Just because they're living together, that doesn't change the fact that…"

"Woah! _Living_ together? This just keeps getting _better_!" Tucker boomed. "It's like you all _want_ them to split up.

"I wasn't _finished_." Munch said through gritted teeth. "They haven't _changed_, Tucker. They haven't so much as _held hands_ while at work. Their life together has not affected their partnership, but for the fact it's made them more protective of each other and since when is that a bad thing?"

"Since they'll choose _each other_ over a potential _victim_, moron! That's why these rules exist!" Tucker snapped.

"You don't know them, Tucker. That'll never happen!" Munch yelled.

Fin stepped out of the room, dragging Trevor by the cuffs. "What's all the yellin'?"

Alex snapped."Tucker wants to split up Benson and Stabler because they're involved."

"That's complete crap. Just because they…"

"Fin," Olivia snapped. "Stop trying to help. All of you! You're just making it worse! Just…" She ran a hand through her hair and looked at Elliot. He looked worried, scared even. This job was his life. But, it wasn't hers anymore. _He_ was her life. She unclipped her badge and threw it at Tucker. "Take the damn thing," she said through gritted teeth. She stormed out of the bullpen, coming back a moment later, even angrier to slam her gun into Tucker's open palm. "Got to hell," she spat, glaring at him, as she turned on her heels and barreled back through the doors.

"What the hell just happened?" Cragen boomed, standing in front of his office.

"Benson just _quit_," Munch said, disbelieving.

Tucker, in shock, looked up at Cragen. "I…I didn't want her to…I didn't think she would…I was only trying to…"

"Ed, my office, now! Stabler, get Benson _back_ here." Cragen glowered at Tucker, and the Sergeant crawled, with his tail between his legs, into the office.

* * *

It took him hours to find her. She wasn't in the precinct anywhere, she wasn't home, she wasn't at any of their local haunts, she wasn't at Casey's, or in Alex's office, and she wasn't even at the cemetery, by her mother's grave, which was the last place he checked because it was the _last_ place she'd be.

He finally found her, sitting on a large rock, by the pier, overlooking the Hudson River, a bottle of beer in one hand, her head in the other. She looked tired, her eyes had lost the light and sparkle they usually held deep within their chocolate brown pools, her shoulders were slumped so far over that it seemed her body had taken on the same shape of the rock on which she was perched. His heart broke to even look at her.

"Liv," he called, walking toward her.

"How did you find me?" she asked, not looking back at him.

Elliot snickered. "Pier patrolman called me," he lied. He wasn't going to tell her he called every beat cop in the city until someone said they'd seen her. "Baby, what did you do?"

She looked up, smiled smugly and scoffed. "What you were _about _to do," she said, taking a sip of her beer. "Beat you to it, slow ass."

He shook his head, smiling sadly. "Christ, Liv. _Tucker's_ an ass! He was trying to get us to switch partners, not get one of us _to quit_!"

"I can't work with anyone else, Elliot!" she yelled. She stood up from her rock and took three steps toward him, waving her arm as she shouted. "I can't trust anyone the way that I trust you! I can _not_ put my life on the line for Munch, El. I can't stand the way Fin interrogates people because he gives me nothing to play off of, not the way you do. Don't you get it? I quit because Tucker thinks I can't do my job with _you_, but, the truth is I can't _do_ my job _without_ you!"

Elliot grabbed her, holding her still. He held her chin with one hand, forced her to look into his eyes and opened his wider. "You don't have to, Liv."

"Oh, fuck, Elliot. You didn't walk out, too, did you?" she asked, sorrow in her eyes.

Elliot shook his head. "It was Cragen. I have never heard him yell so loudly and I've never heard him curse so much, Liv. He said words that made _Fin _cringe. Tucker screwed up and he knows it," Elliot explained. "Don threatened to leave if Tucker didn't back down. Cragen's not letting you quit. He's not splitting us up. Tucker's in deep shit, Liv. Alex is going to the D.A and wants Vice to charge him with conspiracy to blackmail two officers of the law."

Olivia looked up at him, confused. "What?"

"It might not have been the right time, or the right way, but Alex stood up for you, and_ me_. Us. _Everyone_ did. Even _Langan _admitted that what he did to Liz had nothing to do with us." He ran a hand over her hair, lightly grazed her cheek with the back of his hand and said, "But, you're right. I _would_ have quit, too. I'm no good to anyone without you, either."

Olivia just smiled, sadly, admitting that she still felt like shit. Elliot took her by the hand and pulled her gently, leading her away from the pier, and he wrapped an arm around her. He kissed her forehead as they walked to his car, and he knew that once she got back to precinct, and Tucker, for the first time in his piddly little existence, apologized, to her, she'd feel a whole lot better.

**A/N: I know it was short, but the next chapter is going to be looooong. We are on "O" we all know something that starts with "O". ;) ;) Reviews are my sunshine. =) **


	15. It's Olivia Now

**A/N: What does Olivia say to Tucker when she gets back? Why was he so dead set to ruin them? Does he mean it when he says he's sorry? And…what happens now?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters. The story, narrative and dialogue are purely TStabler©**

Olivia stormed back into the bullpen with Elliot hot on her heels. "You son of a..."

Elliot wrapped a hand around her mouth. She had every right to be pissed, but technically, Tucker was still their superior, she couldn't insult him or his mother. "Liv," he said. "Calm down. It's okay."

She looked up, seething, taking short but deep breaths. She nodded once and he removed his hand. She smoothed out her shirt, reattached her gun and badge and looked up at Tucker. She smirked as she said, "Bitch."

"I deserve that," he said, dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Benson. I didn't think that you'd quit. I was just pushing your buttons. I wanted you to defend yourself, talk back, hit me. I didn't want you to throw your career away over some jack..."

"Don't you dare, Tucker. You've already seen me give up eight years of hard work and six years of education for him, I am not above going down for assaulting an officer. You have done nothing but dick us around for the last six years, since you got your fucking promotion, over every little thing we did. Now you finally have a reason to fuck us over and it backfired because I'd rather walk out than lose him! You honestly think I have the patience or the leftover sanity to stand here biting my tongue while you insult him?" She smirked and shook her head. "Does screwing with us give you such a hard-on because you really hate us or because you're jealous of our relationship, huh? Is that it? Never had a partner who could stand to talk to you for more than five minutes, let alone become your best friend, did you?"

Tucker sighed as her words hit him and stung, the truth of them landing like a hard uppercut. "No. That's why I work alone," he said. "I'm not friendly."

Olivia scoffed. "No shit. It doesn't take a detective to figure that out. At least you admit it." She put her hands on her hips and bent her head slightly, finally calming down a bit. "Christ, Tucker if you spent half as much time going after the cops who really fucked up instead of jumping down our throats because you wanted to destroy what you'll never have, then this city wouldn't have a rep for being corrupt and riddled with dirty cops." She lowered her eyes and started to walk away.

"You're right," Tucker said with a chuckle. "That's nothing new. You're _always_ fucking right. Do you know how goddamn annoying it has been to see the two of you band together like the fucking Great Wall of Benson and Stabler, never faltering, never failing, and you took each others sides and you took the blame for each others mistakes, all the time. No one, in fifteen years, has done that for me. I let my jealousy fester I let the power I had over you go to my head and get in the way of what I really should have been doing. I'm sorry, Olivia."

Olivia stood, wide eyed, staring at him. "Oh, it's _Olivia_, now? Did you really just apologize? For a second time?" She stepped closer to Tucker, but passed him by and moved next to Elliot. Tucker nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I did," he said. She grabbed Elliot's hand. "Did you mean it?"

"Don't push it, Olivia." Tucker smirked. "Yeah, I meant it. You won't hear shit from me unless whatever this thing is that is going on between you two causes problems around here." He nodded his head again and walked out.

She turned to Cragen, then. "Are we really okay, here? You're not gonna split us up?"

Cragen shook his head. "I told you I'd try to keep your asses out of trouble. The threat of me leaving, and taking the entire unit and two A. D. As with me, convinced Tucker that everyone in this squad has your back. We did, however, promise him that if whatever you two get into, if it ever does affect your work, then one of you gets Munch."

"Hey," Munch said. "How come I'm always the threat?"

Elliot looked at him. "Really?" he asked. "You don't know?"

The unit shared a laugh as they crowded together to welcome Olivia back, even though they all knew she was never really gone.

* * *

Two in the morning found Olivia on the couch, flipping through channels, a book on her lap and a carrot in her hand. She didn't hear Elliot creep down the stairs; she didn't hear him walk over to the couch. She only noticed when he picked up her legs, sat down next to her, and put her legs on his lap. "Why are you not upstairs sleeping with me?"

She looked at him, cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Wow."

"Liv," he said, rolling his eyes. "You know what I meant!" He took hold of her right foot, tickled it lightly, earning a swift kick, then he pressed into the sole of her foot, massaging. "Oh, good Lord," she said as her head dropped back to the arm of the couch. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You were born," he said with a smile. "And you told Tucker off, Liv. I paid Alvarez fifty bucks to make me a copy of the security camera's tape from tonight so we could show it to our _grandchildren_ one day. It was fucking amazing." He rubbed her foot a little harder, in small circular motions, and heard her moans of appreciation.

"You know how I get when I'm mad, El. Tucker pushed the _wrong_ button." She sat up and scooted closer to him, bending her knees slightly so he wouldn't have to stop his glorious foot rub. Elliot switched to the other foot as he kissed her temple. "Was that the _'raging bitch'_ button? Where, on your body, is that? Because, I _never_ want to accidentally hit it and have to suffer that kind of wrath." Olivia chuckled. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"You told the man he wasn't capable of having friends. You talked about his hard-on. You either called him a son of a bitch, a bitch, or both. Either way, you insulted his mother. Then you told him he spent six years doing a shitty job of being an IAB Sergeant because he was jealous of us," Elliot listed. "You were pretty terrible. One hundred percent _correct_, but terrible." He laughed, let go of her foot and held her close. "You flew off the handle 'cause he was gonna call me a jackass?"

Olivia chuckled. "No, I flew off the handle because he couldn't _understand_ how I could walk out like that over_ some jackass_. You're not just _some_ jackass, you're _my _jackass. He needed to know that I was serious. If you didn't come get me, and tell me we were gonna be okay, I'd have really quit."

"I know you would have," Elliot said. "Please come to bed, baby."

Olivia shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Comfortable. Not moving."

"Fine, then. Stay there." Elliot got a good grip on her and stood up. She laughed. He smirked as he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. Her eyes widened as he dropped her to the floor. "Elliot, what is _that_?"

"That," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, "If I recall correctly, is _someone's_ dream bed. Dark cherry four poster canopy. New mattress, new sheets and that comforter, Liv, is the warmest, most comfortable thing I have ever slept under, besides you."

"What was wrong with the old bed?" Olivia asked, unable to take her eyes off of the bed. She had only told him about her dream-bedroom once, and she was describing the room she would have wanted in her _teens_, if her mother had cared enough.

Elliot walked them over to the new bed, with its large, inviting king-sized mattress. "The old bed was the bed I shared with someone I hated for the better part of my adult life. I never really felt right sharing that bed with you. This one, however, is all ours, _our_ bed, no one else has ever slept in it and no one else ever will."

Olivia sat on the bed, running her hand over the new down comforter, and then she flopped back, heaving a sigh. "This is _beautiful_, El. Thank you, so much. I didn't even think you knew it…"

"Of _course_ it bothered you, baby. It bothered the hell out of _me_; I knew it was killing you to sleep in the same bed that _she _had been in. I love you, so much, and I wanted to show you that I…" Elliot was cut off; Olivia sat up, grabbed him and pulled him to her, deeply and passionately kissing him. She pulled away, slowly, and rubbed his nose with hers. "Make love to me, El. In _our_ bed."

"Gladly," Elliot whispered. He pulled her top over her head, kissing her neck. He ran a hand down her naked back, thankful she never wore bras to bed, and trailed his lips from her neck, to her collarbones, down to her chest. He kissed his way around her left breast, finally taking her nipple into his mouth, sucking lightly, gently, knowing he was driving her absolutely mad. He easily pushed her back down, his mouth still attached to her heaving bosom. He snaked his hands down to her waist, sliding her pajama pants off, over her hips and he smiled, still suckling, as she kicked her own way out of them.

"Oh, baby," she moaned softly as he switched sides, not wanting her right nipple to get jealous. He sucked, bit lightly and tugged, making her cry out his name, then he let her go with a tiny pop. He slid her panties, already wet, down her body and tossed them to the floor. He trickled his hands back up her thighs while he moved up her body, until his mouth met hers, his left taking refuge in between her legs as his right pressed into the mattress at his side. He licked her lips lightly at the same moment his left ring finger grazed her slit. She bucked her hips and raised her head, both ends of her body begging for something. Her hands had long ago divested the glorious man on top of her of his shirt, and now they were trying unabashedly to shove his sweatpants off. He chuckled and shook his head, grazing her lips and her wet, aching, center one more time, simultaneously.

"Later," he whispered. "You first." His finger entered her throbbing core, and he slanted his mouth over hers. The kiss deepened as another one of Elliot's fingers invaded her tight, dripping hole, and they both moaned. Elliot could get off just by _feeling_ Olivia, just by making _her_ cum, and he was about to do just that. Olivia felt the heat rising in her body, and she refused to let it consume her. She grabbed his hand and yanked it out of her, roughly, causing a harsh growl from her and a surprised groan from Elliot. He pulled his lips away from her, looked into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, El. I just," she paused, finally yanking his pants down, and pushing them off with her feet. She took his hard, pulsing member into her hand and stroked as she whispered, "I want you." He narrowed his eyes, brought the hand that had just been inside of her to his lips and sucked her juices off of his fingers, eliciting a gasp and a moan from Olivia. He brought her lips down on hers once again and sheathed himself inside of her, smoothly, with only slight resistance, moaning as he stretched her. As many times as they made love, she hadn't permanently adjusted to his size, she never lost that exquisite tightness that made him groan so fervently. They met each other thrust for thrust, giving and taking, melding together in a tangle of unrecognizable limbs and sweat. Moaning and kissing, groaning and gripping skin, her nails digging into his flesh, his _teeth_ digging into _hers_. Her inner walls tightened even more and he moaned into her mouth as it got harder and harder to thrust through her clenching core. She shrieked, a scrumptious sound, into his mouth as she bit his bottom lip and sucked on his tongue, triggering his final thrust. She felt him spurt and spill inside of her, his hot seed warming her already hot body, an immensely pleasant feeling spreading through her entire system.

"Holy shit," Elliot cried, panting, pecking her with kisses.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah," she breathed, "My God, Elliot."

Elliot placed a sweet kiss on her lips as he brushed the damp hair out of her eyes. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too," Olivia replied, running a hand up and down Elliot's sweaty, used arm, still holding him up. She swatted it, causing him to land, ungracefully, on top of her. She held him close to her as she forced him to the side and rolled on top of him. She snuggled close to him and pulled the comforter up around them as she said, "And I _love _our bed."

Her cell phone rang just as her eyes drifted shut. She groaned, this time in dissatisfaction, and reached out to grab the offending device. "Benson," she spat into the damn thing. "Alex?" She shot up, making Elliot sit up in shock, in worry. "Al, are you crying? What happened?" Olivia was quiet for a moment. A hand shot up to her mouth and she looked over her shoulder at Elliot. "Oh, my God. No, Alex, I am. I'm just in shock. It's four in the morning, you, uh, woke me up. But, I really am. Lunch tomorrow, with Casey, my treat. Yeah. Bye."

"What?" Elliot asked. "What happened?"

Olivia looked into Elliot's perfect blue eyes. "Munch proposed."

**A/N: P is for….? Guess! But R is for REVIEW!??**


	16. They Promised Now

**A/N: Promises. Some are made to be kept forever. Some are made to be broken. And some are made with words unspoken. ~ TStabler**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, the lucky man, owns the characters. TStabler© owns everything else: narrative, dialogue and storyline.**

The girls sat at their usual table, their usual lunchtime fare on their plates and their usual drinks in their hands. The only thing unusual this afternoon was the sadness oozing from Alex. Munch had proposed last night. Alex told him she couldn't marry him, not yet, and she hoped he understood. Then, he told her that if she didn't know if she wanted to marry him by now then she never would and he broke up with her; he wanted all or nothing. She didn't want _all_, so he chose _nothing_. Alex cried into her Long Island iced tea as Olivia and Casey tried, unsuccessfully, to console her.

"Alex, girl, come on sweetie. Stop crying. You're diluting your alcohol," Casey said, rubbing Alex's back.

Through her sobs, Alex cried, "I can't...stop crying...he broke...my heart...just because...I can't...say yes! He didn't even...let me tell him...why!"

Olivia looked at her depressed friend and was near tears herself. Why wouldn't Alex marry Munch? Olivia knew the moment her eyes met Elliot's for the first time that, if he asked, she'd be his forever. If Alex said 'no', there needed to be a damn good reason. "Well," Olivia said, "You can tell _us_."

"He's been married before," Alex said, calming her crying. "_Three_ times! I want him to be sure he can make it last with me, because I'm not prepared to be wife number four if he plans on having a wife number _five_. I want him to be _sure _he can make this one last _forever_," Alex cried pushing her sandwich away. "I guess now I'll never know."

Olivia smiled sadly. "Alex, I've got Elliot talking to him right now. He'll fix this, and Munch will come to his senses and come begging for forgiveness."

* * *

"Stabler, you're telling me that you don't think Olivia knows, right at this moment, whether or not she wants to spend the rest of her life with you?" Munch said, an accusing and disbelieving tone in his voice.

Elliot scoffed. "Of course I do, Munch. Liv and I knew the moment we met we'd end up together, so if I walked into the bullpen and asked her to hop on a jet to Vegas right now I _know _she would. But, Liv isn't Alex!" Elliot sighed. "_I've _only been married once before, and that was a fucking _disaster_, okay. You've got _three _divorces under your belt. Did you even think that she said 'no' because she's worried you're gonna change your mind once the ring's on her finger just like you did other three times you traipsed down the aisle?"

Munch sipped his beer. "Well, no."

Fin smirked. "Dumbass. Did you talk to her about it, even mention the possibility, before you asked?"

"Um, no." Munch shook his head. "I didn't."

"Genius," Elliot said. "I'm all for being romantic and spontaneous if you're _sure _the answer is '_yes'_, Munch. How long have you been with Alex, what, three months? Before that you two couldn't stand each other! You jumped the gun with her, man. And you broke up with her before you even heard her explanation. Go talk to her. If you love her, you need to give her time."

"Oh, right. Like, you wouldn't walk out on Olivia if she said 'no', Stabler?" Munch asked.

Elliot shook his head. "Only if the reason she said 'no' was that she didn't love me anymore. I'd wait _forever_ for her if I had to, man. But no, I would _ask her_ why she didn't say 'yes' and then I'd _wait_ until she was ready to change her answer. Leaving after she said 'no', Munch, makes it seem like you only wanted _a wife_. Not necessarily her."

Munch sighed and dropped his head. "I screwed up."

"Yeah, you did," Fin said, patting his partner on the back. "But, that's why you've got us, man. To fix things when you screw up."

Elliot nodded then his eyes widened. "Oh, shit! Speaking of screw-ups, I need to find a jeweler, now. If I'm not back before Liv just tell her I'm in the bathroom or something."

"What?" Munch asked, "You're not going to ask..."

"No, I'm not! It's our nine month anniversary," Elliot said, tossing a twenty on the table. "I have to get a ring, and make a few phone calls. Go talk to Alex, Munch. Fix this." Munch sighed again as he and Fin watched Elliot run down the street.

* * *

"How was she?" Munch asked as Olivia walked back into the bullpen.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm not supposed to be talking to you, but since you asked, she's inconsolable. She won't stop crying. I have never seen her cry over a guy before Munch. Do yourself a favor, go down to the courthouse, knock on her damn door and get your girlfriend back. She only said no because...forget it," Olivia said, realizing it wasn't her place to tell him.

"What? Why? She _told_ you why?" Munch asked, frantic.

"Oh, Munch. _She's_ ready! She's terrified that _you _aren't. She doesn't want you to give up on her like you did with your three ex-wives. She wants you for forever and she thinks it's a promise you can't keep," Olivia sat in her chair, folded her arms and sighed. "Some people just can't do _forever_." She looked over at Elliot's empty chair and quirked an eyebrow. "Speaking of forever, where's my partner?"

Fin coughed. "Oh, uh, bathroom?"

"Smooth. Remind me never to get you to cover for me," Munch quipped, quietly. "Hey, Cap?"

"What?" Cragen asked from the coffee corner.

Munch rose out of his seat and picked up his jacket. "When Stabler gets out of the, uh, _bathroom_, I need to run down to the courthouse. It's an emergency."

"Okay, you can go. Stabler's not in the bathroom, though. I was just in there," Cragen said, sipping his coffee.

Olivia smirked and her eyes widened. "Really, Cap? How interesting. Isn't that where you said he was, Fin?"

Fin grimaced. "Good goin', Cap."

Cragen leaned over to Fin. "Hey, we're trying to cover up this little surprise, but you gotta keep me in the loop. I didn't know we were supposed to tell her he was in the john!" Cragen shook his head. "Stupid kids," he muttered as he walked back into his office.

Elliot walked into the bullpen and sat in his chair as if nothing had happened, looked up at Olivia and smiled. "Hello," he said. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Where were you?" she asked with a sly smirk on her face.

"Bathroom," he said, definitively.

Olivia chuckled as Fin groaned. "Try again," she said shaking her head.

"Cragen blew your cover, man. Sorry," Fin said with a shrug.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Okay, I went to the store. You can't have it 'till we get home so don't ask, don't even _think_ about asking. Yes it's in my pocket right now, _no _you _can't_ touch it."

"Woah," Casey said as she walked into the bullpen. "I walked into the _wrong_ part of that conversation."

Olivia laughed. "I'm pretty sure if I wanted to touch _that_ he'd let me," she quipped. "He was talking about a present of some kind that just happens to be in his pocket."

"I still didn't need to hear that, Benson, but thank you for alerting me to the fact that you two_ frolic_ in the precinct." Casey gave Fin a quick kiss and sat in Munch's desk. "I got a call from Munch asking me to vacate my office. I guess he's going to try to win her back?"

"He's gonna try," Fin said. "I just hope he can. Alex was the best thing that ever happened to him. I know what that feels like," he said looking up at Casey. He winked, she blushed, and Olivia knew that it was a silent promise between the two of them; it meant something. She just wasn't sure what.

* * *

"Okay," Maureen said. "Dishes are done. Kat and I are gonna go downstairs and work on our volcano okay?"

Olivia looked over at the girl and smiled. Elliot nodded. "Okay sweetheart, just don't blow up the basement."

Maureen and Kathleen ran downstairs, slamming the door behind them. Dickie and Lizzie were upstairs working on their own homework. Elliot and Olivia were on the couch, cuddling. The TV was off; Olivia had a book in her hands.

"Well, now that they're gone," Elliot said reaching his hand into his pocket and dropping his head to kiss Olivia's neck. "I can give you this." He held out a small, white box.

Olivia put her book on the coffee table, peered up at him, confused and asked, "Okay, what _is_ this and _why_?" Elliot chuckled. "Today is our nine month anniversary. Well, sort of. Nine months ago, today, I took a chance and told you how I felt and kissed you for the first time. Didn't think I'd remember the date, huh? Clearly, _you_ didn't remember. Do I get some kind of medal?"

Olivia shook her head and blinked. "I remember, I just didn't think you...I mean we've never celebrated..."

"Liv, I _wanted_ to. It just would have been hard, ya know? We were still sneaking around. You can wear this, and tell everyone it's from me, including _Tucker_, and no one can say shit about it now," he said, popping open the box.

"Oh, my God! Elliot! It's gorgeous!" She shrieked, turned and kissed him as he laughed and smiled against her lips. Her eyes widened. "You're not asking..."

"No," he said shaking his head, laughing. "I'm not. But, I will. You won't know when, how, or where, but this ring," he said, taking it out of the box and holing it in front of her. He lowered his voice to sound more like James Bond as he said, "If you choose to accept it," and he chuckled. "Means that you _promise_ to say 'yes' when the time comes. I don't want what happened to Alex and Munch to happen to us, baby. He asked her and she flipped because he didn't talk about his intentions with her. I'm doing that now. I _promise_ you, as soon as I'm sure the kids can handle it, that I _will_ ask you to marry me."

Olivia looked at the sparkling sapphire ring, thinking about how much it looked like his eyes when they darkened with lust, and she smiled as she turned to face him. "What happened to them would _never_ happen to us, El. The truth is, if you did ask me, right _now_, I'd say 'yes'. So, yes, I promise that when you do ask, I'll say the same damn thing."

"You _really _mean that?" Elliot asked, flipping Olivia over completely so she was laying flat, right on top of him. He slipped the ring on her finger as it rested on his chest.

Olivia peered down at him and nodded. "With all my heart, El."

"Good," he said, kissing her deeply. He pulled away and was about to ask her something else when her cell phone rang. "Can we change your number?" he joked.

"Benson," she said with a laugh. "Oh, sweetie that's great! Wait, what? Oh, I don't think we can all...we'll have to talk to Cragen but I think...okay, Alex. Yes, we'd love to. We'll talk to him tomorrow and see if we can't get the 2-9 to cover us for the weekend. Are you sure about this? Then I'm happy for you. Okay, bye."

"What the hell was that about?" Elliot asked as Olivia hung up the phone. Her face was wide and shocked.

Olivia propped herself up, using Elliot's chest for support. "Munch and Alex talked. Not only are they back together, but he told her he was absolutely ready for forever with her, and he asked her again and she said 'yes' this time."

"Well, good for them," Elliot said pulling Olivia down for another kiss. "Now, I have to ask you..."

Olivia interrupted him. "They're flying to _Vegas_ this weekend and they want the entire squad there with them. They're eloping."

Elliot smirked. "Oh, they are? Did you tell her we would _love to_ go?"

"Yeah, but we have to get another precinct to handle the calls, they want Cragen there, too." Olivia tossed her phone on the coffee table near her book and wrapped her arms around Elliot.

"Trust me, Liv. Cragen wouldn't miss this for the world." Elliot pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text message to Alex, then one to each of his kids. If there was one thing Elliot loved more than _making_ a promise, it was _keeping_ one.

**A/N: Uh-oh! What? Who wants Now 17? Your reviews make me happy!**


	17. A Question Now

**A/N: Who knew Olivia hated to fly? Where are Munch and Alex? And Why are all of Elliot's kids invited to Alex's wedding? Q is for…?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, the lucky man, owns the characters. TStabler© owns everything else: narrative, dialogue and storyline.**

"I'm bored," Dickie complained, sitting upside down on the bench in the terminal.

Kathleen scoffed. "We're in an airport, Dickwad, not an amusement park. Didn't you bring anything with you?" she asked, holding up a book to prove she had thought ahead.

"Hey!" Elliot yelled. "Do not call him that, Kathleen!" he had one arm around Olivia as he sipped coffee and held a donut with his other hand.

"Daddy," Maureen said. "Is Uncle Munch absolutely _sure_ Alex is really going to marry him? I don't want to go to Vegas for a wedding and end up…"

"Yes, honey, she's really going to marry him," Elliot said, sternly.

Lizzie looked up from her book. "How do you _know_?"

"Because, she _promised_ him she would," Elliot gruffed with a mouthful of donut. "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Okay," Dickie said. "When are you and Olivia getting married?"

Elliot choked on his donut, coughing madly. The kids laughed as Olivia patted him on the back and made him drink his coffee. "Not cool, Dickie," Olivia said, hiding her own chuckling. "You okay, El?"

"Yeah," Elliot said, inhaling sharply. He held up the donut. "It just went down the wrong pipe." He sent an evil glare at his son, who smirked back at him, as the announcement that their flight was boarding blasted through the terminal.

* * *

"Dad! This is so not fair! Why do I have to sit with Uncle Fin?" Dickie yelled from his seat.

Elliot chuckled. "Dickie, because I know you're terrified of Uncle Fin. You didn't think I'd be letting you run loose on a plane, did you, you silly boy?" Olivia laughed and smirked at Dickie, then at Elliot, as she slid into her window seat.

"Daddy! We haven't even taken off yet and Grandpa Don is snoring. Trade places with me," Kathleen demanded.

"Um, lemme think about that one. Sit next to my captain, who's in a Dramamine-coma, or my girlfriend, who is wide awake and willing to keep me company for five hours. I'll sit with Liv, thanks!" He smiled and nodded cheerfully at his daughter, who pouted and sat in her seat, folding her arms.

Maureen poked her head up and glared at Elliot. "Casey has her iPod in her ears. She's singing. Dad, she sounds like a dying cat. Help me!"

Olivia laughed. "Why don't you just put _your_ iPod on and drown her out?"

"Oh, right," Maureen said, turning back around. "Oh, by the way, Lizzie thinks Uncle Fin's son is cute. That might be a problem."

"Why is that a problem?" Elliot asked.

"She's gonna be sitting next to him for five hours," Maureen said, smirking, as she turned up the volume on her mp3 player.

Elliot rolled his eyes before squeezing them shut as the flight attendant made the pre-flight announcements. "Hey, you gonna be okay?" he asked Olivia, suddenly remember she had mild flight anxiety. She nodded, but her face had paled significantly. He caught the flight attendant's attention and asked for some water, two pillows and a blanket. "Maybe if we sleep, it won't get to you," he suggested. She nodded again, with a gulp, as she felt the jerk of the plane taking off. She squeezed Elliot's leg and closed her eyes; she felt him slip the pillow behind her head and he wrapped the blanket around them as he pulled her close. She exhaled, deeply, and rolled her head to the side, opening her eyes. His face was only centimeters from hers, and he was staring into her brown orbs. "Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hey," he whispered. "You are so beautiful."

Olivia raised her eyebrow. "El, I'm probably white as a ghost, and I'm a panicky, sweaty mess. How is that beautiful?" Elliot chuckled and kissed her. "Don't argue with me when I tell you that, baby. You'll lose. You _always_ look beautiful. Especially, when you're sweaty," he said with a wink. She rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "You have a dirty mind, El."

"Only when I'm thinking about you, Liv," he said. "Which is pretty much all the time." He pulled her closer, and covered them up tighter in the blanket. "I love you," he whispered to her. She closed her eyes and snuggled close to him. "I love you, too," she whispered back to him.

Elliot ran his had along Olivia's stomach, under the blanket, under her shirt, the contact with her skin sending warmth throughout his body, she moaned softly at his touch and linked her fingers with his. They fell asleep in seconds. An hour later, the plane gave another sudden jerk and Olivia's eyes shot open and she gasped. "Liv, baby, shh," Elliot cooed, rubbing her stomach in smooth circles. "It's okay, calm down. I'm right here. It's just a little turbulence, baby. You'll hardly even notice it in a minute." To prove his point, he trailed his hand lower, playing at the waistband of her jeans.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He popped her button and his hand crept lower, sliding her zipper down. "El," she shouted in whisper. He smirked at her, narrowed his eyes and, chuckled. "Liv, be quiet," he whispered, kissing her, peeling back the thin cotton panties she wore and sliding his fingers underneath the material. He deepened the kiss, making sure the blanket was still concealing them completely and he slipped a finger inside of her, loving the way she gasped into his mouth, and moaned whisper-quietly against his lips.

He rolled slightly, getting closer to her, and slipped another finger inside of her; she nibbled lightly on his bottom lip in response, and cupped his face, caressing his cheeks. He moved his fingers faster, knowing that her mind was now completely off of the flight and had gone somewhere else. He tried to keep his movements small, unnoticeable. To anyone watching it appeared as if they were merely kissing, and cuddling. He chuckled, evilly, when she started clenching around his fingers, and he began to run his thumb over her hooded clit, up and down, swiftly. Her whole body tensed and she came, with a quivering shudder and soft gasp. Elliot stroked her slowly, bringing her down from her high, and pulled away from her, grinning madly. "See? Turbulence wasn't so bad."

She laughed, panting slightly, and he pulled her back toward him, where she fell back into a peaceful sleep. Elliot smiled to himself as he, too, drifted off, dreaming of the wonderful things that waited for them when they landed.

* * *

It was hot. It was dry and it was hot. The airport already felt like the desert, so they were all dreading going outside. "Okay," Casey said. "Next time one of you decides to elope, pick a place with an actual climate!" Fin laughed and kissed her, whispering in her ear, "Technically, they aren't eloping. He planned this." Casey rolled her eyes. "He couldn't have planned it somewhere where there's oxygen?" she asked, whispering back.

"All right," Cragen said. "Cars are out front waiting to take us to the hotel. Munch and Alex left already. They're picking out a cake, and Munch said something about picking up the rings, so they won't be there. Let's go," he said, stealing a glance at Olivia and smiling.

"What?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Cragen said, shrugging. He led the group outside and they piled into the three waiting cars. The Stabler clan and Olivia were ushered into a black SUV. Elliot pulled Olivia close to him, almost onto his lap, and Maureen and Kathleen slid in next to them. Dickie and Lizzie climbed into the back. "How was everyone's flight?" Olivia asked.

"Uncle Fin growled at me whenever I tried to get up," Dickie said. Maureen laughed, then said, "Casey thinks she should be the next American Idol. Simon better get a good pair of earplugs." Lizzie sighed and looked off dreamily. "I'm in love with Ken Randall," she said, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Oh, no you're not," Elliot said, sharply with a raised eyebrow.

Kathleen scoffed. "I had to sit next to Grandpa Don, and he drooled on my shoulder, P.S, while you two made out like teenagers. Don't think I didn't see you!"

Elliot and Olivia chuckled. "Well, at least you know your Grandpa Don loves you enough to sleep on your shoulder," Elliot quipped. "And, yes, Liv and I were kissing. She hates flying, I was bored, it was something to do," he shrugged. Olivia looked at him with narrow eyes and gave him a playful elbow to the ribs. The car pulled up to _The Venetian_, the driver got out and opened the door for them, and they grabbed their luggage. The kids' eyes widened as they walked into the luxurious lobby. The high ceilings and lavish carpeting stunned them; the crowds of people caught their attention; when Cragen, Casey, Fin and Ken walked in to meet them, they had similar reactions.

"Elliot," Olivia said, "This is amazing." She looked at him and smiled, taking his hand, secretly wishing she and Elliot had the balls to do something as spontaneous as Munch and Alex. "I know," he said, returning her smile. "You should see the chapel, Liv." He paused, cleared his throat and said, "Munch showed me pictures."

They checked in and went to their respective rooms. Elliot and Olivia, and the kids, all gasped when they walked into their suite. Two rooms, separated by an inside door, allowed for some privacy. The kids ran into their half of the suite and squealed when they noticed they each had their own bed. Olivia looked around at the half of the suite she and Elliot would share and her eyes widened. "El, this is too much. Are you sure we can afford this?"

"It's already been taken care of, baby. We should start to get ready. We have to meet everyone downstairs at five. Everyone has to shower, get dressed, stop ogling the hotel," he laughed. He kissed Olivia, smiling against her lips. He pulled away, slowly, and said, "You go take your shower. I'll keep the kids occupied."

"Okay," Olivia said, giving him another kiss. She grabbed the dress that Alex had chosen for her and walked into the bathroom. "Oh, my God, Elliot, you can fit our entire living room in this bathroom!" Elliot laughed loudly at her outburst, and when he heard the water start to run, he went into the other room to talk to his kids. He had a few last-minute preparations that they needed to be a part of to make this night perfect.

Once everyone was ready, they met out in the hallway to walk down to the chapel together. Olivia was the last one out of the room, and when the group saw her they all smiled. Elliot gasped. "You look amazing," he told her, kissing her soundly. "Why did Alex pick out white dres…Casey, you're wearing blue? Why am I in white if you're in blue?"

"Uh, yeah. Alex is probably getting married in red or something. Yay, America! Can we just go?" she said, hurriedly, pulling Fin down the hall.

"You look really pretty, Olivia," Lizzie said, smiling brightly at her. She grabbed her sisters and sped after Fin and Casey. Cragen looked at her, then, and smiled proudly. "You know I'm gonna cry, right?" he asked Elliot. "I don't cry. This is gonna make me cry."

"Aw, Don. Everyone cries at weddings," Olivia said, patting his shoulder. "I just didn't think you and Munch were that close."

Cragen shook his head and looked into Olivia's eyes. "We aren't." He smirked at her, then turned and walked down the hall.

Elliot smiled, a bit crookedly, at Olivia, and took her hand. "What was that about?" she asked. Elliot shrugged and tugged her hand, holding it tightly as they followed their captain and his kids into the elevator.

The ride down to the ground floor was quiet, almost tense, and Olivia felt Elliot's hand start to get clammy. "El," she said, looking at him. "Are you okay? You're all white, and…are you nervous about something?"

He laughed. "Why would I be nervous? It's not like _I'm_ getting married. Munch and Alex are the ones who should be all, ya know, scared and…no, I'm not, um, nervous? No." The elevator dinged, and everyone filed out, heading toward the chapel. They met Munch outside the elaborately carved wooden doors. He was standing with Melinda Warner, who was in a blue dress, just like Casey's. "Mel!" Olivia yelled. "You made it!" Munch slapped something into Elliot's hand as the girls hugged.

"Yeah, I did. I wouldn't miss this for anything! I got someone to cover for me. If anyone dies this weekend, it's not my problem. I needed to be here for this." Melinda smiled. "You look fabulous, Olivia."

Olivia looked down at her white and gold dress. "Thank you, but I don't know if she made me the Maid of Honor, gave me the wrong dress or what, but I feel like I should be in blue."

"No," Munch said. "You got the right dress." He pushed the doors open and everyone 'oohed' and 'aahed' and gasped at the exquisite elegance of the chapel. Alex was standing at the front, in a blue dress, smiling nervously. The kids ran in and sat in the front pew, waiting anxiously for what they knew was about to happen. Munch, Fin, and Cragen walked up to the front and stood to the left while Melinda and Casey joined Alex on the right. Olivia turned her head, slowly, toward Elliot. "Alex and Munch _aren't_ getting married," she said, stone faced.

"Not tonight, Liv," Elliot replied. He took a step toward her, tugging gently on his tie. "But, um, I think _someone_ should, or this whole trip, this beautiful chapel, and a couple thousand dollars were wasted." Olivia blinked, trying not to cry, as she felt Elliot give her hand a squeeze. He turned her hand over and held it up, brushing his thumb over the sapphire promise ring he'd given her only two days ago. "Baby," he said, pulling a white box out of his pocket. "I have a question for you."

Olivia gasped and the tears she tried so hard to keep from shedding began to fall. He flipped open the top of the box and three rings glittered in the light, gleaming up at her. A simple solitaire diamond engagement ring and two matching wedding bands. Hers would latch onto the engagement ring, while his was thicker, but identical. He pulled her toward him, looked into her eyes and blinked, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "Liv, will you marry me?"

**A/N: Oh, my God! She's not gonna give you the answer?! Hey, no worries. R is for Response! And Review! Tell me you want it ;) **


	18. A Response Now

**A/N: What does Olivia say? Was their trip to Vegas a waste? Read on...**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, the lucky man, owns the characters. TStabler© owns everything else: narrative, dialogue and storyline.**

Olivia was stunned, the tears fell freely, but she wasn't _sobbing_. She was crying, silently, shocked. "Right now?" she asked, reaching a hand out to the box. God help her, she wanted those rings on her finger, but was this really the way to do it?"

"Right now," he said, nodding.

She looked up at him. "I thought you said you wanted to wait until you were sure your kids…"

"Look at them, Liv. They look pretty damn okay with it," he said, gesturing to the happy, excited faces staring at them. "You're killing me, baby." He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.

She peered into his ocean-blue eyes. "El, have I ever broken a promise?"

Elliot thought for a moment. "Well, that one time you promised you'd throw Munch's head in a blender if he ever…"

"That I made to _you,_ you goofball!" she said, laughing through her tears, stepping closer to him.

"Oh, no. Never," he said, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Then why the hell would I pick now to start?" She took his hand, looked into his eyes and smiled. "I promised I would say 'yes,' El. Yes, I'll marry you, right now."

Elliot heaved a sigh of relief, as did everyone else in the room, and he pulled the diamond ring out of the box and slipped it onto Olivia's left ring finger. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever seen. It sparkled on her finger and it felt like it belonged there. She glanced up at Elliot and he smiled brightly at her, took her hand and squeezed. He turned to the front of the room and nodded. A young man in a suit, sitting at a piano, started to play a beautiful instrumental rendition of Etta James' _"At Last,"_ and Elliot pulled Olivia toward him.

"I love you," he whispered, walking her down the red carpet. "I love you, too, El. Are we really doing this?" she asked, a small laugh escaping her lips. He laughed, once, when they got to the end of the runner. "As long as you say, 'I do,' then yes, we are."

"Oh, well, then, we are." She smiled at him and sniffled; he returned the sentiment and handed Cragen the ring box. A tall, blonde woman stepped out from behind a frosted glass door, and smiled at the couple. "Well, I assume she said 'yes', or you wouldn't be standing here."

Elliot nodded and chuckled. "Yes, she did."

"Good then," the lady, in a black suit, said with a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, we gather together, on this most auspicious of days, to join this man and this woman together in holy matrimony, as husband and wife. As they stand before us, unified, hand-in-hand, by God, we are blessed with the chance to look upon true love. These two souls have been bound by fate and fortune, destined to be forever tied to one another, and it is an honor to have a part in such a miraculous moment, for all of us to witness this union. Elliot, I understand you have chosen to write your own vows, so please, place the ring on Olivia's finger, and speak from your heart."

Elliot was already tearing up, and when Cragen handed him Olivia's ring, one of those drops fell down his cheek. He held the platinum and diamond band in his fingers and looked Olivia in the eyes. "Liv, you are my whole world. You've meant _everything_ to me for the past eight years, and the past nine months have proven it. Where there has been cold, you have brought me warmth. Where my life was dark, you have brought light. When I was lost, you brought me home. You_ are_ my home, Liv. I pledge from this day forward, before our friends and family, to be your husband, to share with you one life, and always cherish, honor, respect, and protect you. Always and forever, till death do us part," he declared, and he slipped the ring on her finger, hearing the tiny click as it wrapped around her diamond.

Speechless, crying and smiling, Olivia gazed lovingly into his eyes and caressed the side of his hand with her thumb. That was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard. The officiator looked at her and smiled, tears in her own eyes, and said, "Now, Olivia, I know this was a surprise, and you may not have anything prepared. You can repeat…"

"No," Olivia said softly. "I know what I want to say to him." She blinked as Cragen placed Elliot's ring into her shaking hand. She looked back up into Elliot's cerulean orbs and simpered, "Elliot, you are my partner, my best friend, my one true love. I will love and respect you, always, and I can not believe you did this to me," she laughed. "_For_ me, really. I promise, as your wife, to always be there, by your side, in friendship and love, in strength and weakness, in good times and the misfortune, in achievement and failure, to share life with you, forever. You've given me love when I needed a friend, strength when I was weak, support through times of trouble and you've always been proud of my achievements and you've caught me when I've fallen. I will love you, forever, till death do us part, El." She cried softly as she slid the ring up his finger. She couldn't help but remember the plain gold band that had been on his finger when their relationship started, and how happy she felt when he took it off.

He had told her many times that he wished it was her ring on his finger. His wish had finally come true. He squeezed her hand gently, and couldn't wait to kiss her.

"Elliot, will you take Olivia, to be your lawful wife. Will you love her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live?" the blonde woman, now unabashedly crying, asked.

Elliot nodded, looking at Olivia. "I will."

The woman looked at Olivia and continued. "And do you, Olivia, take Elliot, to be your lawful husband? Do you promise to love him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she said, brightly, with a single nod of her head.

"You have consented together to be bound to one another in lawful marriage. You have made special promises to each other, which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows, and by the giving and receiving of rings. By the authority vested in me, according to the laws of the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now that the ceremony is over and the experience of living day by day is about to begin, go and meet it gladly," the chipperly tearing blonde said with a clap. "Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss her," she said to Elliot.

Elliot wiped a tear out of his eye and wrapped his arms around his wife. He nuzzled her, laughing, as he heard his children and friends cheering and clapping. He pulled her closer, wrapped her tighter and pressed his lips to hers. She returned the kiss eagerly, cupping his face, smiling against his lips. Olivia didn't have many happy moments in her life; not until she allowed herself to have not-an-affair with Elliot, and this was now at the top of a very short list. Her heart was absolutely bursting. They'd been kissing for quite some time, and breathing was now an issue, so they, reluctantly, pulled apart.

"Thank you," Elliot whispered, his forehead pressed against Olivia's.

"For what?" she asked, still cupping his face, peppering his chin and nose with tiny kisses, making him laugh. He looked at her, seriously, and said, "For marrying me."

"Well, thank you for asking me to," she said with a chuckle. "El, I think you've just made me the happiest person on the planet."

Elliot shook his head, "No, see, that's me. You can be the happiest _woman_, though," he quipped. Olivia glared at him, playfully. "How rude!" They laughed and turned to their friends, who were all sniffling and wiping their eyes. Olivia bypassed them and looked at the kids. Dickie and Lizzie were beaming, Maureen was smiling, but Kathleen's eyes were red. She had no expression on her face, but she was crying. Olivia's heart sank. She stepped over to the pew and looked at the children. "Hey, guys," she said, softly. Elliot stepped close, grabbing her hand and he said, "How are we doing over here?" Dickie, Lizzie and Maureen leaped out and hugged her and Elliot, but Olivia's eyes were locked onto Kathleen's.

Olivia let go of Elliot's hand and took a step toward the young girl. "Katie, I…"

"Mom," Kathleen said, jumping out of her seat and wrapping her arms around Olivia.

Olivia held on, squeezing back, and she shut her eyes in relief. "Oh, Kat," she said, softly. "I love you, sweetie."

Kathleen looked up and smiled. "I love you, too, Mom."

Alex walked over to Olivia and Elliot, smiling, and said, "John and I are going to stay with the kids. Your new room is ready and waiting." She handing Elliot a new card key and winked at him. "Thanks, Alex. For everything," he said.

"I owed it to you guys, and now, at least, I know you meant it when you said this was forever," Alex said, placing a hand on Elliot's shoulder before walking away.

They hugged each child and each one of their friends before they walked off, hand-in-hand, toward their new room.

* * *

"You can stop staring at your hand," Elliot said on the elevator. "Those rings are really on your finger. They're not gonna disappear."

Olivia chuckled. "I know. I just still can't believe we just got married!"

"And we are about to have a week long honeymoon in Vegas," he said with laugh.

Olivia looked up at him with eyes as big as dinner plates. "What?"

"Liv, I've been planning this for weeks. It was just a coincidence, John asking Alex to marry him when he did. Don was going to tell you we had to fly out here for some kind of convention. Liv, honey, he knew._ Everyone_ knew. How the hell do you think our entire squad got the weekend off? Cragen pulled a thousand strings, two weeks ago, trading shifts with three different precincts. They all leave tomorrow, but we're staying. Alex and Munch are gonna to stay with the kids. That's kinda why I made you promise to say yes," he said with a laugh. "I didn't want to go through all of this just to have you say, 'No, sorry, can't marry you.'"

"You have to be the most romantic man in the world. Spontaneous and a little crazy, but very romantic," she said as she kissed him. "What made you..."

"When I went to see Alex," he said. "I just started yelling at her. I didn't even know what I was saying, but I heard myself speak and I convinced myself that I needed to be with you, forever, as soon as possible. The time we've been together, Liv, I don't care what anyone says, adds up to eight goddamn years, and that's more than enough time to know you want to be with someone for the rest of your life."

Olivia kissed him again as the doors to elevator opened, and they turned to face their honeymoon suite, the penthouse. She gasped and Elliot chuckled. "Do you like it?"

"Oh, El, this is breathtaking. Look at that view! You can see the entire city from here," she said stepping over to the large picture window.

"Liv, I don't wanna look at Las Vegas. I wanna look at you, Mrs. Stabler." He handed her a glass, and popped the cork on a bottle of chilled champagne, pouring one for him and then filling her flute.

"Okay, I think my heart just exploded when you called me that. Do it again," she commanded with a smile.

Elliot smirked, clinked her glass with his in a toasting gesture, He sipped as he said, "I love you, Mrs. Stabler."

She put her glass down on the sidebar, wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked. "One more time?"

"Mrs. Stabler," he said, narrowing his eyes, "Olivia Stabler." He reached around her, snaked his hands up her back and tugged on the zipper of her dress. "My wife."

She shuddered when he dropped his lips to her neck. He slid the straps off of her shoulders and let the dress drop delicately to the floor, and he smiled when he felt her pulse race as he kissed and nibbled her throat. "Hey, Mrs. Stabler?"

"Yes?" she replied, shoving his suit jacket off of his shoulders.

Elliot picked up his head and looked into her eyes with his classic, cocky Stabler-grin and said, "Get in the bed," as he pushed her playfully onto the mattress.

* * *

"Okay," Munch said, holding out his hand, "You all owe my fifty bucks, and you'll owe me another fifty in a month when we find out that he knocked her up tonight."

Fin laughed. "Hey, man, cool it. They just got married! Have a little respect. Don't take bets on them here!"

"We're in Vegas, Fin. There isn't a better place to gamble," Munch said. "Oh, Cap! We've talked it over, and I'll work with Stabler's stubborn ass."

Cragen wiped his still watering eyes. "That won't be necessary, John."

"But, Tucker said that if they got married…"

"They could no longer be partners, I know, but you won't be working with Stabler. He's not going to be a detective in the unit anymore. He's already cleared out his desk." Cragen said, interrupting Fin.

"Shit," Munch said, shocked. "Does Bens…uh…Lady Stabler know?"

"No," Cragen said. "But when she opens up the closet in that room and sees his Captain's uniform staring back at her, she'll have a pretty good idea."

**A/N: Is Cragen really leaving, or is there something else he's not telling them? Or…S is for…surprise? Review!! I've got Now 19 half-done! If you review and want it bad enough, it may go up tomorrow! **


	19. They're Surprised Now

**A/N: Does Cragen really Leave? How does Olivia react to seeing a Captain's uniform in their closet? Surprise...**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

Olivia blinked open her eyes, tried to roll over, but found that the muscular arms that were wrapped around her were holding on so tightly she couldn't move. She tried to wiggle and was met with a most pleasurable sensation. Elliot was still inside of her. She was still on top of him. Her _husband_. She smiled and lifted her head and she looked down at the snoozing man. She rocked her hips once and a smile slowly crept across his face. "If I open my eyes, I swear to God, you'd better be real," he mumbled.

"Oh, I'm real. You aren't dreaming." She rocked her hips again and his eyes opened, he rolled his head to face her and he grinned. "Well, good morning, Mrs. Stabler." He ran his hands up her body, sending shivers down her spine as she slowly rode him. "Good morning," she said, smiling at him. "Have I told you how much I love the sound of that?"

Elliot nodded. "You_ showed_ me. A couple of times. Last night." He ran his hand up her back, grabbed her neck and gently pulled her down to him, kissing her. He snaked his other hand over her waist, got a good grip and flipped her over, rolling on top of her in a smooth, languid motion, shoving deeper into her in the process. She gasped, crying out his name when she could breathe again. He attached his lips to hers and picked up the pace, sliding in and out quickly, but powerfully. He wasn't sure if it was the knowledge that she was his, the possession and claim he now had on her, or if it was the raw energy of being in Las Vegas, but _something_ was causing their lovemaking, since the ceremony, to be incredibly intense. His body tensed and tightened faster than usual, but he didn't cum any quicker. He hung just over the exquisitely torturous edge, just about to jump, for a full thirty minutes. His moans took on a more vulgar and profane attitude, shocking Olivia. She, too, felt the fire all too early, but unlike Elliot, she leaped off the bridge as soon as possible. _Four times_. He felt her clench so tightly around him, as if her inner walls were trying to squeeze his dick into two, and then release him as she relaxed. This happened exactly four times, and Elliot let a string of Marine-issue four-letter words fly out of his mouth every time it happened.

Olivia felt her fifth, and final, orgasm approach rapidly and Elliot knew that he'd be following over the blessed precipice this time. She dug her nails into his lower back and pulled her hands up his body, raking into his flesh as she clamped around him one last time and he spilled his seed into her, crying her name. He heard her moan his name, too, before their lips met in a passionate, exhausted kiss.

* * *

The second time she awoke in his arms, as much as she wanted to make love to him again, she knew they needed to get up. They were taking the kids out for the day, then driving them, along with everyone else, to the airport. "El," Olivia said, stroking his ripped chest. "Honey?"

"Hmmm?" he replied, sleepily.

"Get up. We have to go get the kids," she said, climbing out of the bed. Her legs were numb. Tingly. She threw on the hotel-given robe and padded over to the closet. Elliot, watching her, jumped out of the bed and tried to stop her but it was too late.

"What the fuck is _that_?" Olivia screamed, pointing at the black and white uniform hanging in their armoire. She picked up the hat and turned to him, glaring, tears in her eyes. "What is _this_?"

"Liv, baby, listen, okay?" Elliot, still naked, stepped forward. "Don. He knew that once we got married we couldn't be partners anymore. Not really. Not on_ paper_."

"So, he quit and gave you his _job_. Don't get me wrong, El, I'm _proud_ of you. _So_ proud, but now I'm _married_ to my _boss_, on _paper_? That's fucking _worse_! El, I can't..."

Elliot interrupted her. "Liv, no. Just listen!" He took her hand, looked into her eyes, and smiled. "Yeah, I'm _Captain_ Stabler now. But, Captain Stabler is going on _every _single call, interrogation and pick-up with Detective Benson. I assume your keeping your name for professional purposes?" he asked with a light laugh.

Olivia chuckled, too. "Maybe," she said, raising an eyebrow. Two _Stablers_ in one unit would be confusing. "So, Cragen left so you would be able to..."

"Be your partner without _actually_ being your partner. And he's _not_ leaving, Liv. He's still our boss. Because of everything he did, Ed Tucker was fired. Cragen's the head of IAB. Once he gets his hands in the policy-changing magic powder, he's changing the pointless 'you can't fall in love with your partner' rule. Once he does, if I'm not happy being the captain, I can hand the reigns to Munch and go back to being piddly little _Detective_ Stabler."

"And if you _are_?" Olivia asked, calming down.

"Then you get the best of both worlds. You get me as your not-really-your-partner-but_-totally_-your-partner _and_ you get to know what it's like to have sex in the captain's office, with the captain, on his desk, every morning. And sometimes during lunch." They both laughed and shared a sweet, yet passionate, kiss.

Olivia sighed. "He really loves us, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, but I think he loves the fact that he's now in charge of the Internal Affairs Bastards now even more," Elliot said, chuckling.

* * *

"Okay, guys. Olivia and I love you all very much," Elliot said. "Call us when you land."

Maureen looked at her father and smirked. "You said that wrong, Dad."

"What?" Elliot said, scoffing. "Are you the grammar police, now, Mo?"

Lizzie giggled. "She means, Dad, that you were supposed to say _'your mother_ and I'."

"Oh," Elliot said, a new light in his eyes. "Your mother and I love you very much."

"Better," Dickie said. "But, I still think that it's just so unfair that you got to her before I...ow! Maureen! That hurt!"

"Dickhead! She's your mother!" Maureen still couldn't get over the fact that Dickie thought Olivia was hot. There was no harm in thinking your mother was beautiful, because they all thought Olivia was beautiful, but Dickie thought Olivia was date-worthy. He had a crush on her once-upon-a-time.

"Come on," Alex said. "Our flight's boarding. You two, enjoy your honeymoon."

Munch shook Elliot's hand. "See you in a week, Captain," he said with a hearty chuckle and a pat on the back.

Don Cragen stepped forward and looked at the two detectives he'd grown to think of as his children. He'd see them less during the workday, but hopefully, more on a regular, social basis, now that they weren't going to be butting heads in the bullpen. "So, you know, then?" he asked Olivia.

"Yes," she said, "I know. I can't tell you what it means to me...to us, to know that you did that _for_ us, Cap...Don."

Cragen smiled. "Your happiness is more important to me than anything. Besides, now I get to run things the way they should be run, and make sure the problems that need to be solved _get_ solved." He looked at Elliot. "And I can go knowing the unit is in good hands." Cragen followed Munch and Alex out of the gate onto their plane.

Fin and Casey were taking a later flight, so they were hanging around for a bit, in the terminal café. Fin and Elliot were talking sports, so Casey pulled Olivia aside. "Hey, Olive Oil. I don't wanna rain on your parade, but I have to tell you this before I pop. Literally."

Olivia balked at the use of the girls' little nickname for her. "Okay, Case. You only call me 'Olive Oil' when something's up. Alex calls me that all the time, but you...what is it?"

"Fin doesn't even know yet. I don't know how to tell him. I don't know if I _can_ tell him." Casey was jittery, nervous, antsy.

"Casey, _what_ doesn't he...no!" Olivia looked Casey up and down, took in how she'd been acting the past few days and it hit her. "Oh, my God!"

"Yeah," Casey said. "I said that a lot when I was getting into this mess."

"Okay, I didn't need to know that, thanks," Olivia said. "You _have_ to tell him!"

Casey nodded. "I know, I just...you're my best friend. And whether _he_ wants this baby or not, _I_ do. And I want you and Elliot to be the godparents."

"Oh, Casey. Of course!" Olivia threw her arms around Casey and laughed when Casey finally smiled. "I'm happy for you, really. You're going to be a great mom."

"Just like _you_ are," Casey said.

Olivia felt the tears rise. "Oh, Casey, thank you. I _want_ to be a good mom to those kids. Hearing them call me 'Mom' and having you say that I'm a great mother, it just quelled my biggest fear, ya know?"

"What's that? _You_ have a _fear_?" Casey said, feigning surprise.

Olivia nodded. "I'm terrified that I'm going to be just like her, Casey."

She felt his arms wrap around her before she head him say, "You're nothing like your mother, Liv." She turned her head to the side and peered back at the brilliant blue eyes of her husband. "You are everything she _couldn't_ be. You are loving and warm, considerate and compassionate, sympathetic and passionate, and an _amazing_ mother to four children who aren't biologically yours, but they are in every way that _counts_. You're _going _to be an amazing mother to the many children we're going to bring into this world together, too."

"El," she whispered. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for telling the truth, baby." Elliot kissed Olivia sweetly, and a tear rolled down Casey's cheek. She wanted a love like that. A life like that. With Fin.

"Speaking of babies," she said, turning toward Fin, who was standing next to his son Kenny, "I'm having one."

Fin nodded. "Oh, cool. Hey, Ken, did you hear that? Casey's...wait, what the hell did you just say?"

Casey laughed. "I said, we are having a baby. You and me. Us. You knocked me up. What are you gonna do about it?"

Fin said nothing. He took three steps toward her and kissed her as if his life depended on it.

Elliot was confused. He peered down at Olivia and raised an eyebrow and she answered his unasked question. "Casey's pregnant. She asked if we would be the godparents."

"Wow," he said. "I always thought I'd get you pregnant first. I mean, we've never used any kind of birth control, and we have more sex than college kids."

Olivia laughed. "By the way, I'm convinced now."

"Of what?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "That compared to us, college kids have crappy sex lives?"

"No," she said, chuckling. "I'm convinced that you're not gonna go away, that I have _all _of you. I told you once that I'd never be fully convinced, but I am. I am now."

"Um, Dad?" Ken said. "Casey? Guys? The plane is gonna fly back to New York without us. Stop kissing. Guys?"

Elliot and Olivia laughed as Fin, still kissing Casey, pulled her toward the boarding gate. It had truly been a day of surprises, but tomorrow would hold something else. Something truly unforgettable for the Newlyweds. Something truly amazing.

**A/N: What could T mean? Review for more!? **


	20. They're Trying Now

**A/N: They're in Vegas, they're gambling with more than just their money. T is for…trying? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

"El," Olivia said, rifling through her makeup bag. "We're in trouble." She ran a hand through her damp hair, and then rested it on her lace clad hip. She had just taken a steamy shower with Elliot, and had yet to put anything on over her underwear.

He walked up behind her, in nothing but his towel, and wrapped his arms around her. "Why? Is lack of eyeliner suddenly life threatening? We're only going to breakfast, baby. I already married you, you don't have to wear..."

She stopped him and turned to face him. "I can't find my birth control pills," Olivia said, resting a hand on his chest. "It's bad enough I forget to take them as it is, but to not have them while we're on our honeymoon, when I know you're not going to let me out of the fucking bed…"

"I took them," he said, sheepishly, interrupting her.

Olivia's eyes widened. "You what?"

"Liv, honey, the only reason you were taking them was because we were having an…" he stopped himself. They were not having an affair, not really. "Because we couldn't risk having a baby. And then because we didn't want to ruin what we had. What's stopping us now? I'm not saying I want to go for the gold right away, but I am saying that I'd like to leave it up to God and chance, risk it." He ran a hand up her arm and looked her in the eyes. "If you want to, that is. If you don't, I know where your…"

The most delicate and gentle kiss stopped him from speaking. "I love you more, at this moment, than ever," she whispered sweetly. "I don't want to go down to breakfast, El." She kissed him again, and pulled on his towel. She took his hands in hers and guided them to her hips, and walked them toward the bed. His knees buckled as the back of them came in contact with the mattress and he plopped, unceremoniously, onto the soft foam. Olivia stood before him, and his hands, still resting on her hips, slid the lace down, over her toned body and down her sleek, athletic legs and he smirked, gasping in amazement as her bare slit was revealed, right in front of his face. He pressed his lips to her center, in a sweet, chaste kiss, licked once as she moaned in pleasure, then leaned back on the bed, allowing Olivia to loom over him. She crawled on top of him and slid off her bra.

Elliot's eyes widened as he took the sight of her in, memorizing her the way she was right now. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Liv," Elliot whispered as he pulled her down to him, kissed her and rolled her over. "Every perfect imperfection," he muttered, kissing his way over and across her body, "Every birthmark, scar, and freckle," he purred, nuzzling his way back up to her lips, "Every inch of you, baby, is absolutely gorgeous." He brushed the hair out of here eyes, peering down at her, and she looked up at him, her heart racing. After all they'd been through, he still gave her butterflies. She figured, at that moment, that when those flutters went away, that's when she'd have to be afriad.

"El," she said, softly, feeling him start to enter her, slowly. "You keep saying it and I'm gonna believe it."

Elliot pushed himself all the way into her and smiled. "Good," he said as he started to thrust, kissing her neck. He heard her moan, softly and he said, into her ear, as he nibbled on it, "It's true." Olivia clutched onto Elliot's shoulders. "God, Liv. We're gonna make beautiful babies," he whispered to her, feeling her nails dig into his back as he sped up, trying like hell to do just that.

They finally got out of the bed at two-thirty, having missed both breakfast and lunch, yet somehow not too hungry at all. They dressed in playful silence, helping each other with zippers, buttons and other unreachable, pain-in-the-ass adornments. When Olivia reached for her make-up bag, Elliot stopped her. "What did I tell you this morning?"

"I'm not looking for birth control, El," she said with a chuckle.

Elliot laughed back. "No, Liv, come here." He pulled her toward the full length mirror on the door and stood her in front of it. "Look at you. Look at that face. You really want to put all of that shit on this beautiful face of yours? Hide what God has already made so perfectly?"

"I was…wow, El," she said, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. "I wear makeup to work."

Elliot nodded. "And you look phenomenal, but there's a difference between putting on mascara and lip-gloss to catch a perp and what I know you were about to do yourself. You don't have to do the smoky eyes, red lips thing. You never had to do that, baby."

"Oh, El," Olivia said, throwing her arms around him. "You are amazing."

Elliot laughed. "So are you, wife of mine. Let's go," he said, pulling her toward the elevator doors. He ushered her in and pushed the button for the lobby. The second they stepped off the lift, heads turned, eyes widened and people stared. They oozed joy and love. And they were they most gorgeous couple in the entire room. People were definitely noticing them, but they only had eyes for each other.

Their very late lunch was romantic; champagne, caviar, and some other foreign and expensive foods that Olivia made faces at until Elliot caved and got her a burger. "What can I say, El, I'm a simple girl," she said with a smile when the waiter finally came back with her cheesy, beefy, greasy, meaty, heart-attack on a plate. Elliot smiled, laughed and split it with her. The check arrived and it, too, almost gave Elliot a heart-attack. "Thirty bucks for a burger?" Elliot griped.

Olivia smirked. "Honey, we're in Vegas. They'll charge you thirty dollars to go outside and take a deep breath!"

Elliot sighed and pulled out the cash, pausing to look at his hand. "We really did this, huh?"

"We did, yes. We just paid more for that burger than…"

"No," he said grabbing her left hand. "This!" He looped his hand around hers, so their ring fingers touched, their matching bands sparkling in the light of the chandelier.

Olivia nodded, wiggling her fingers. "Hard to believe, I know. I'm still expecting to wake up and find that it's all been a dream. A really amazing dream."

"Come on," he said with a chuckle, rising from his seat. "Let's go take a thirty-dollar breath. There's something I have always wanted to see."

He took her hand, leading her back through the casino, then the lobby, and out the door. They took a stroll along the strip, watching the sunset and stopped at the gates of the Bellagio Hotel. Elliot looked down at his watch and said, "Right on time." He stood behind Olivia and wrapped his arms around her, and they both watched in amazement as the fountain in front of them came to life. It spouted and sprayed in magical formations, flashing brightly colored, choreographed water-dances to beautiful classical music. "This is so beautiful," Olivia whispered, leaning back into Elliot's embrace.

"Yeah, it is," Elliot said with a sigh. "I wish I could have proposed to you here. I feel like I cheated you, Liv." He ran one hand up and down her arm while the other stayed wrapped around her stomach. "You deserved something romantic and planned, and you deserved to have the wedding of your dreams. The white dress, the cake, the flowers, the flying doves, the golden carriage…"

"Okay, shut up, Stabler," Olivia said, turning around to face him. "My proposal was perfect. I had the wedding of my dreams. El, everything you did…it was you. Spontaneous, impulsive, following your heart, throwing caution to the wind. That is who you are, and who you've made me. It was so romantic, and you did plan it! I had the wedding of my dreams, right here in Las Vegas. I wore a white dress, we had cake, and there were flowers. So, they were cheesy, fake begonias, but we had flowers. Flying doves? They would have pooped all over everything, and the only person who has ever gotten married in or around a golden carriage is Cinderella, and last time I checked, I wasn't a princess. But, you did give me my fairy tale, and you are my Prince Charming. Everything was perfect."

"Thank God you said that," Elliot sighed in relief. "I was so afraid you'd regret this, or wish things were different."

Olivia shook her head. "El, the only that I will ever wish was different…" she paused. "I wish we didn't wait so long to give in. You could have been mine a long time ago."

"I'll be yours for the rest of your life, Liv," Elliot said, kissing her.

Olivia smirked. "I know you will, Cap."

"What?" Elliot said, furrowing his brow.

"Just practicing," Olivia said, seductively. "I can't call you 'Elliot' or 'El' at work anymore."

Elliot simpered, pulling her away from the gate and starting backward down the street. "Oh, well, what am I supposed to call you? Is it inappropriate for me to call you 'Liv' as your commanding officer?"

"Olivia, Benson, Stabler," she listed, "It'll be easy for you. But, it's gonna be pretty difficult for me. Old habits die hard. You're gonna have to come up with some kind of consequences if I slip up." She narrowed her eyes as he pulled her closer, snaking a hand down her back, though they were still three blocks away from their hotel, and in public.

"Like what?" he asked, walking faster, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

Olivia chuckled lowly and evilly. "Cuff me, read me my rights," she paused, pulled on his arm, stopping him, pressing her body against his. She looked him in the eyes, their faces centimeters apart. "Make me beg for mercy."

Elliot's eyes darkened and he pulled her, running, toward their hotel. They blew past the doorman, waited impatiently for the elevator and the moment they got into their penthouse, their clothes were torn off and Elliot tossed Olivia onto the bed. He moved on top of her, but stopped. He got a wicked look in his eyes and ran to the closet.

"El?" Olivia asked, concerned.

He turned around, a menacing look on his face, and smirked. "What did you just call me?"

"El," she said. "Honey what…" she paused when he pounced on the bed took both of her wrists in one hand and held up his shiny, silver handcuffs.

He laughed at the evil grin that spread across her face. "Mrs. Stabler," he said, leaning forward, whispering into her ear, "You have the right to remain silent." He looped the chain-link through the bed posts and cuffed her hands above her head. He placed a small kiss on the end of her nose, then one on her lips, then he eased into her, his eyes closing as he stretched her. He heard the clash of metal against wood and knew that Olivia was struggling to move her arms, he knew her eyes were closed, too. He heard her moan a glorious sounding, "Oh, Captain Stabler!"

He pushed himself in, to the hilt, then opened his eyes, looked at his wife and smiled. "Get ready to beg, Liv." He began a slow, agonizing, wavelike motion, designed to tease and torment. He shook the bottle, built up the pressure, but never popped the cork. He would speed up, then just as she was about to explode, he'd stop for a moment, kiss her gently, and move so slowly, bringing her back down. He teased her nipples in the same torturous manner. Slow, building a fire, then faster, rougher, and then he'd stop when he felt her almost erupt.

Olivia couldn't believe what was happening to her. She couldn't take the exquisite mix of pain and pleasure any more, he had kept her just on the brink for over an hour, and she couldn't even touch him. She was going mad. All she had to do was say it. One word. This could have ended long ago, but she had been so stubborn. She wanted to hold him, she wanted to cum and she wanted him to cum with her. "Please," she whispered, exhausted.

"What, baby?" Elliot said softly, rocking into her. "I couldn't hear you."

Olivia bit her lip. "Please, El."

Elliot grinned. "Please…what?"

"Son of a bitch," she muttered with a simper. "Please, uncuff me and, oh my God, I need to cum, with you."

Elliot groaned, his lips met hers as he reached one hand up to turn the key. Her left hand was freed, but the other still had the cuff still wrapped around it. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeper, moaning into his mouth as he finally picked up the pace, without backing down, and he lifted up her leg, only slightly, and they both cried out and shook as the most intense feelings washed over them. Elliot had to stop moving; Olivia had clamped around him too tightly for him to even try. They remained still, entangled and panting, foreheads touching, kissing, for another ten minutes, waiting out the blissful aftershocks of their lovemaking, of which there were many.

"Do you think we made a baby?" Olivia asked, caressing Elliot's scratched, sore back.

Elliot shrugged. "I have no idea. But, we're certainly having a fucking blast trying," he said with a breathy laugh. He took the cuff off of Olivia's other wrist, threw it to the floor, rolled off of her and wrapped the blankets around them. "Gimme ten minutes," he said.

"Ten?" Olivia said. "Shit, El. I need at least fifteen."

"Hey," he said with a chuckle, wrapping his arms around her. "You're the one who wanted me to make you beg for mercy." They laughed, cuddling, and chatted idly about what they would name a child, what they would do about work if they had a baby, and if their church would allow them to have three Godfathers. Little did they know, they'd need answers to these questions sooner than they thought.

**A/N: Oh my! Say what? What is U?? Reviews?? I love all of your feedback!**


	21. They Underestimated now

**A/N: They may have underestimated, just a bit.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

"Liv," Elliot said, leaning over Olivia on the plane. "Are you feeling okay?" He knew she hated to fly, and he knew they were about to hit a rough part of the flight. She had been sleeping since takeoff, owing to their impassioned and sex-filled final night in Vegas, and he noticed, now that she'd woken up, that she looked slightly pale. She blinked and shuddered as if she were about to be sick. "Baby, you need to get out?" he asked as he moved to allow her to pass if she needed to. His instincts were right; she shot up and bolted down the aisle and ran into the unoccupied bathroom, leaving Elliot concerned, and slightly nervous, sitting in his seat. When she came back, she looked better and as she sat in her window seat, she sighed.

"Okay," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder, "I feel fine now. I felt like I was going to be sick, but once I got into the bathroom, the urge to throw up went away." She shrugged and nuzzled the crook of his neck. "I have the urge to do something else, now, though," she muttered into his ear as she licked the rim and bit his earlobe gently.

Elliot looked at her, slyly, and smirked. "Liv, you minx!"

"Well, I'm married to a sexy beast and I just can't control myself," she whispered as she ran her hand up his strong arm and raked her nails against him as she slid it back down. "I want you, El. Now."

Elliot shot her a smug grin. "Wait five minutes, then follow me," he said, his heart beating a bit faster. He couldn't believe they were really gonna do this. Sure, fooling around in their seats during turbulence was fun, but this was a whole new barrel of monkeys. He slinked into the bathroom and waited, drumming his fingers along the sink. He looked around, nervously, at the cramped washroom and tried to figure out how, exactly, they were supposed to do what they planned on doing. Elliot was alone in there and he felt suffocated; add Olivia to the mix and then try to make them move, it seemed impossible. His heart gave a heavy thud as the door opened and Olivia wormed her way into the closet-sized room.

Elliot watched her slide the bar on the door, letting the outsiders know it was now occupied, and said, "Honey, are you sure you want to…"

He wasn't allowed to finish talking. She kissed him roughly, which shut him up. She spun them around and hopped up on the small counter, yanking his jeans button loose and his zipper down. Her ferocious impatience was turning him on and his nerves disappeared. He let his hands wander to her jeans, and tugged them off her hips. As she raised herself slightly off of the shelf-like surface, he pulled down her panties and stroked her to test her readiness, gasping at how wet she was. "Christ," he whispered, pulling away from her kiss.

"You have no idea," she said, snarky. She wrapped her legs around him and looped her arms around his neck. "Have you ever done this before?" she asked, trying to maneuver her body in the tight corner of the bathroom.

Elliot shook his head, smirking. "No," he said, grabbing her legs and pulling her closer to the egde of the counter. "You?"

"Uh-uh, never." She looked up into his eyes and he saw the glimmer of playful evil and the shining, glowing love, along with something else that he thought he recognized, but he couldn't be sure. "It's nice to know that we can still share a few _first_-times," she quipped. She leaned her head back and moaned quietly as he slid into her quickly, starting out at a speedy pace. They had to finish fast, as people were probably getting on line to actually use the toilet, so they made it a competition. Staying as quiet as they could, they were relentless in their efforts. He tried to get her off as fast as he could; she used every trick she knew to get him to come over to the dark side before her; in the end, it was a tie, and even at their fastest, it still took thirty minutes.

Elliot walked out first, and sheepishly smiled at the five people who were doing a seemingly choreographed hopping-jig outside the bathroom. "Sorry," he said, and when Olivia followed him out, and he saw their eyes widen, he quickly added, "My wife is, uh, pregnant, and she's been sick. I was taking care of her in there."

The looks of shock and disgust were replaced by ones of sweet adoration as the couple made their way back to their seats, but Olivia stopped, dead in her tracks. "El," she said, putting a hand over her stomach. "Why did you tell them…"

He interrupted. "Liv, I had to have a good, honorable reason for being in there with you. Come sit down." He saw the silly expression on her face and softened. "I didn't mean to upset you, baby. We're trying, and the way we go at it, it'll happen soon. If it hasn't already."

Olivia grinned. "I'm not upset, El. I think…" she paused. She didn't want to tell him until she was sure, because Olivia's hunch, though probably right, should not be shared with him while they were still on the plane. He'd want to celebrate. The bathroom line was too long, now, for them to properly do that. "I think you're right."

* * *

They walked through the airport terminal and found their children, Munch and Alex waiting for them. The kids ran to them and pulled them into an enormous group hug.

"How was it?" Maureen asked, smiling.

Kathleen looked at Olivia dreamily. "Was it romantic and sentimental?"

"Did you bring us back tee-shirts and take tons of pictures?" Lizzie asked with a simper.

"How much money did you lose and did you knock Mom up?" Dickie questioned, slapping his father on the arm.

Elliot slapped his son in the back of the head. "It was absolutely amazing, yes it was, yes, yes we did, we _won_ three grand, and none of your damn business," Elliot answered.

Olivia chuckled and absentmindedly rubbed her stomach, an action only Alex noticed, and responded to with a shrill shriek. "Jesus, Alex, what the heck?" Olivia siad, leaping into the air.

"Nothing! Benson, can we talk?" Alex cried, jumping up and down.

Olivia tilted her head. "It's 'Stabler,' and can it wait, I'm tired. I'd like to go…"

"I'd like to talk to you, _now_, please!" Alex said with a big smile.

"Okay," Olivia sighed. She gave Elliot a deep kiss, then kissed each kid on the head. "We'll meet you guys in the car," she said. She followed Alex down the corridor toward the doors, getting far enough ahead of the rest of the group to chat. Alex turned to Olivia and said. "You're having a baby!"

"I am?" she asked, shocked.

"Aren't you?" Alex queried.

Olivia smirked, unable to hide her excitement. "I don't know for sure, yet. Maybe. I'm late. I didn't realize _how_ late until Elliot threw out my birth-control pills. I thought for sure I'd start cramping and my system would go haywire, but then, after I thought about it, I realized I'd been _forgetting_ to take them for a while, we'd been so busy at work and then with everything happening with us, and you and Munch...Elliot and the kids have kept me so damn occupied…"

"Woah, Olive Oil, how late are we talking here?" Alex crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

Olivia looked at Alex and smiled. "Um, two months."

"And you didn't notice?" Alex almost yelled.

"Christ, Al, it's one week out of the month! I was so wrapped up in other aspects of my life that I honestly didn't even realize I hadn't had it! It only hit me when I woke up yesterday and felt nauseous. And today, too. And we had been talking about trying to have a baby, and he got so excited, it never occurred to me until now that I could already be pregnant."

Alex ran a hand through Olivia's hair and smiled. "Well, when are you gonna tell Elliot?"

"Tell me what?" Elliot asked as he walked up behind Olivia. He, the kids, and Munch had caught up to the girls. It appeared their chat was over.

"Oh," Olivia said. "That the purple shirt you wear to work sometimes makes your eyes look bluer. Let's go home, huh?" she said quickly, pulling him by the hand. She shot a warning, scornful glare at Alex, silently telling her to keep her mouth shut, as they walked out of the airport and into the New York City evening.

* * *

"So, you went to Vegas only to end up _back_ in New York," Maureen said, holding up a photo of the Statue of Liberty. It had been a week since they'd came home, and the pictures they'd developed had finally come back and they were beautiful.

"No, honey, that's _New York, New York_. It's a hotel. Your father wanted a slice of real New York pizza, so we went there for dinner. I gotta say, it was better than the real thing," Olivia said, as she took the photo from her step-daughter and put it in the album.

Elliot scoffed. "For twenty bucks, it had better have been good."

Lizzie held up a photo and made a face at Olivia, then turned to her father. "Dad, I don't mean to insult your skills as a photographer, but I can _not_ tell _what_ I'm looking at here."

"Let me see that," Olivia said, taking the picture from Lizzie with a smile. "Hmm. I don't know. Here, El, what do you think this is?"

Elliot took the picture, stared at it for a moment as the rest of the pictures slid from his lap to the floor, and his eyes started to fill up with tears. "When? How? I mean, well, I know _how_, but…"

Olivia chuckled. She leaned over and whispered, "That new bed is pure magic, El." She kissed his cheek and traced the edges of the ultrasound picture with her ring finger. "The first night on that beautiful bed gave us this beautiful baby."

"This is so amazing," he said as he stared at the sonogram. Then, he jerked his head up. "You went…you went to the doctor without me?" He looked over at her, sadly, hurt.

Olivia's eyes fell. She cradled his face with her hands and kissed his lips sweetly. She smiled and shook her head. "No, baby. Of course not. I started to think that I could've been pregnant when we were still on our honeymoon. When we came back, I needed to know. I wanted to be_ sure_ before I said anything to you, because I know how much you wanted this. So, during lunch last Tuesday, I went to see Warner. We're going to the actual doctor, _together_, tomorrow."

Elliot wiped his eyes and looked at his wife. He brushed his thumb over her lips, lightly, and rubbed his nose against hers, still lost in their private whispered conversation. "So, all of the actual trying we've been doing is…"

"Just a whole lot of fun," Olivia said with another soft kiss. "We underestimated ourselves, El. We never really had to try that hard at anything, did we?"

"Not anything we ever did _together_, no." He kissed her and held her close, running a hand down her body to rest on her stomach, thanking God for finally making his life complete.

It had been a rough week, adjusting to their new roles as husband and wife, Captain and comandee, remaining unofficial partners, and now stepping into the role of expectant parents would add another cup of stress to the already overflowing pot that was too hot to handle. Monday, they would find out how much they could _really_ take, when a new case, a visit from the new Cheif of IAB and some more unexpected news would push them to their limits.

**A/N: Oh…what V might be for…reView and lemme know you want to find out! =) Thanks, as always, for sticking with this story! It's almost oVer, only fiVe more chapters. **


	22. They're Vexed Now

**A/N: Vexed: past or current state of being annoyed, harassed or troubled. Though, just who is vexed? Who's doing the vexing?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns characters and Law and Order: SVU. TStabler©, that's me, owns the story, plot, narrative and dialogue.**

Olivia sat at her desk, across from the still-unoccupied one that had been vacated by Elliot, rubbing her stomach lightly and drinking milk. She hated the stuff. She could put it in her coffee, that was fine, but to drink it on it's own was a chore. She thought it tasted like murky, mildewy, water. The doctor told her she had to drink it. So, she'd suffer for the sake of her child. At least she didn't have to tell her captain she was pregnant. He knew. Hell, he was there when it happened! He helped! No one _else_ knew, though, and she and Elliot planned on keeping that way. At least, until she couldn't hide it any longer.

She peered into the glass of thick, white liquid and sighed. "Who the fuck, in their right mind, would see a cow standing in a field, look down and say, 'I'm gonna squeeze those dangling thingies and drink whatever comes out'?" she asked, making a face.

Munch and Fin looked at her funny.

"What?" Fin asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Thank you, Benson," Munch said, using her maiden name out of habit, "For making sure I never drink milk again." He pushed his mug of milky coffee away from him. "In anything."

Olivia looked over at them. "It's an honest question! Cow milk should only be drunk by...other cows. People drink their mother's milk until their, like, nine months old, then it's juice and water and normal shit. Who thought it was a good idea to yank a _cow's_ nipple and say, 'Ohh, yummy!' I want to find him...and kill him." She made a disgusted face and drank the rest of the glass, then shuddered with a choking sound.

Fin laughed. "I'm pretty sure the guy is already dead, Baby-Girl."

"You said all of that, and yet you drank the milk. You confound me, woman," Munch said. "It's a conspiracy, I tell you."

Olivia, her face still construed in disgust, said, "My doctor said I am not getting enough calcium. I told him he wasn't getting enough of my foot up his ass but I wasn't about to follow him around kicking him all day, so why should I have to drink the milk," she said, drinking a full bottle of water to wash the taste of the gross goop out of her mouth. "We agreed that I should probably listen to him, and not try to hurt him."

Fin chuckled. "So, I guess married life hasn't softened you up, huh?"

"I married Elliot," she said. "He couldn't soften me up in eight years of partnership, so he's not gonna do it in three weeks of marriage." She threw the empty water bottle in the bin and reached for another one. "How's Casey, Fin?"

"Crabby, moody, in constant need of attention," he said. "Pregnancy hasn't changed her one bit." He laughed along with Olivia, who absentmindedly rubbed her belly again.

Elliot walked out of his new office, holding two pink slips in his hands. "Munch, Fin. You guys have a vic, Mercy General. Odd one. It's a twenty-four year old _guy_. Go easy on him, he's embarrassed as hell. Liv, we're going to get the perp."

"Uh-oh, a bigger guy?" she asked, getting out of her seat.

Elliot shook his head. "No. His step-mother," he said, raising his eyebrows. "This is gonna be interesting."

* * *

"I'm fine," Olivia said, trying unsuccessfully to swat Elliot's hand away from her face.

"No, you're not," he spat. "She punched you! You're bleeding! If you weren't so quick...if she would have kept fighting...fuck, Liv."

Olivia shoved his hand away, but he moved it right back to her eye, dabbing it with the peroxide. "I'm fine! It doesn't even hurt!" she yelled. "Stop it!"

Cragen barreled into the squadroom with a file in his hand, pulled out a white form and a pen and handed it to Olivia. "Okay, I'm here. I got it. Here," he said. "Fill this out, now."

Olivia, confused, took the paper and read it. "Request for desk-duty and temporary shortened hours? I don't think so," she said handing it back to him.

"Olivia, we can't take chances," Cragen said. "I need you to fill this out. I can't risk you going out into the field, or into interrogation rooms, where people are gonna throw punches at you like that."

"I've been punched before, Don. Hell, I've been shot, stabbed, kicked, did I mention shot?" Olivia shoved Elliot's hand away from her eye and pushed Don's hand back, too.

"Not while you were pregnant, Liv!" Elliot yelled.

Everyone in the squadroom went quiet. Fin and Munch looked up from their desks, and the woman who punched Olivia, who was sitting at the outer chair by Munch's desk in cuffs, gasped. "I didn't know," she said. "I never would have hit her!"

"Great," Olivia muttered. "Thanks, so much, Captain Stabler." She got out of her chair and walked about three feet before turning to her former captain and her current one, who was also her husband. "I'm not signing that. I can do my job, and keep this baby safe at the same time. She got a lucky shot to the eye in before I knocked her flying. It didn't take any effort," she said, emotion threatening to break in her voice. "And you," she pointed to Elliot. "_Captain_, I know you're worried, but this is _so_ not what you need be doing to me right now." She grabbed her jacket and her bottle of water, looked at Munch and then at Fin and said, "Tell Casey we can get fat and cranky together," and bolted out of the bullpen.

"Shit," Elliot muttered. "That didn't go so well."

Cragen looked at him and smirked. "Did you really expect it to? You didn't tell her I was coming here with this, did you?" He already knew the answer, but he loved watching Elliot squirm.

"No," Elliot admitted, dejectedly. "I didn't even tell her I told you she was pregnant. I screwed up."

"Do you know where she went?" Cragen asked, folding his arms.

Elliot nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah, I have a pretty good idea."

"Go. I'll cover things here." Cragen slapped Elliot on the back and watched as he ran out of the squadroom.

* * *

Elliot pushed open the door to the roof, quietly as he could, and snuck over to Olivia. She looked so beautiful, her hair blowing in the breeze as she leaned slightly over the wall.

"I know you're there, Captain Jackass," she quipped. "Just stay there."

Elliot kept moving toward her. "Liv, baby, come on," he said, pleading. "I didn't mean..."

"You didn't mean to assert your authority as king of the fucking world and practically fire me? You didn't mean to announce my pregnancy to the entire unit, after you and I both agreed that it was way to soon to tell people? You didn't mean to fucking overreact, like you always do? That is such shit, Cap," she fumed, swallowing back hard. The indignation in her refusal to call him by his first name, even though they were alone, and he had called her 'baby', was her way of protesting.

Elliot took another step, running a hand down her arm, expecting her to jerk away. When she didn't, he squeezed and turned her around. "Honey," he said. "I did overreact, I'm sorry, but you gotta see things from my end, here." He swiped a finger down the bridge of her nose, a habit he wasn't sure how he picked up, but it had come to mean "I love you" in their own little made up language. "You're my wife, and you're having my baby. A crazy woman, who swears she didn't rape her step-son, suddenly starts speaking Latin, turns around and punches you. Then, she admits to raping him as she picks up a goddamned chair, getting ready to hurl it at your stomach, but you land a shot to her nose. If you would have been two seconds late..."

"I wasn't," she interrupted. "You have to trust that I won't be! Fuck, El, when have I ever hesitated? Except for that one time...with you...which I have clearly been able to get past, huh? Being pregnant is only going to make me more determined to stay safe, to protect our child," she declared. "And you should have talked to me before calling fucking IAB, I don't give a shit who's in charge, they're still a bunch of self-serving bastards."

Elliot chuckled. "You're right, baby. I'm sorry. For everything. I won't make you sign that form until you're ready and I won't treat you like you're gonna break," he said, pulling her close to him. "As long as you can promise me you won't." He sighed and squeezed her tighter. "I'm scared, Liv."

"Of what?" she asked, pushing away from him so she could look up into his eyes.

"God, everything! Liv, I haven't done this in years and, though I'm so excited and happy, it's never been this petrifying before. With you...I can't seem to stop worrying! I'm up every hour just to see if you're still breathing and I check to see if this little one still has a heartbeat. I have nightmares, Liv. We're out on a call or with some asshole in that glass room, and the guy gets one good punch to the stomach and..." he couldn't finish his thought.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and rubbed soothing circles over his back. "El, baby, I'm scared, too. I've _never_ done this before, so I'm counting on you to help me through this. I need you to support me, here. I trust you to protect me. You'd never let anyone hurt me, not really. El, I saw you in that room. I nailed her in the nose, but you already had your arms around her ready to drop her. It was teamwork. You were so concerned about me, you completely missed what _you_ did, and how _you_ reacted."

"Yeah, I guess I did," he said, chuckling. "I've been that way for years, more concerned with you than myself. That's how I got most of my scars."

"I know," she said with a smile. "I was there. I have my share of battle wounds from saving your ass, too, Captain Stabler." She kissed the end of his nose and pecked him lightly on the lips. "Now, can we go back down there, throw out that dumb form, and find out how our perp even _knows_ Latin?"

Elliot nodded. "After I kiss you again," he said as he pressed his lips to hers and held her close. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too." She took his hand and led him back toward the door.

* * *

Munch and Fin quietly eyed them as they walked back into the bullpen. Cragen shifted his weight as he leaned against the wall and there was no sign of the woman they'd arrested.

"Where's our girl?" Olivia asked.

"With Huang," Fin said. "She started spewing some foreign shit. Acting nutty. He's evaluating her, making sure she's not crazy so her confession will hold up."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"

Munch flipped a page in his notebook. "Uh, here we go. She said, 'suum liberi ero perficio' over and over again."

"Latin," Olivia said. "_Their children will be perfect_." She squeezed her eyes shut and a realization hit her. "That's what she said in the interrogation room, only she didn't say 'suum' she said 'vestri.' _Your_ children will be perfect."

"She wasn't talking to you, was she? She couldn't have been," Elliot said. "She said she didn't know you were pregnant. And we're only having one..." he was cut off when Olivia's cell phone rang.

Olivia looked at the caller ID, then looked at Elliot, a suspicious twinge in her eyes. "Hello?"

Everyone's eyes were glued to her when she didn't answer with her usual, choppy, "Benson."

"Oh, good, so does that mean I can stop drinking the...what? Are you sure? I know you're the doctor, but doctors make mistakes. A surgeon in Indiana was supposed to remove a man's appendix and instead he made him a woman, so...I'm _not_ being sarcastic and cruel...I _am_ excited about this, thank you very much." She listened as the man spoke and she raised a hand to her mouth. "What did you just say?" she asked him. "That's what I thought. Oh, I will tell him that you hope the babies get his attitude. Bye, Doc," she snapped as she hung up the phone. "Oh, my God," she gasped, plopping into her chair.

Elliot ran over to her, nervous and panicked. "What? What did he say?"

"He said that, judging by the test results and the way things looked, if we just keep doing what we're doing, our children will be perfect" she said with a small smirk.

"Children? As in more than one child? What are you saying?" Elliot asked, bending down to look her in the eyes.

Olivia cupped his face. "Melinda's ultrasound wasn't strong enough to pick it up, because it's not made for the living, and when we were in the office this morning he thought we just had a very active kid. He looked at the recorded images when he was processing the files and, honey, you fertile son of a bitch, we're having twins."

As Olivia and Elliot stared wordlessly into each other's eyes and had a sweet, emotional and private moment, Munch rose out of his seat and started to walk into the interrogation room.

"Where are you goin'? Fin asked.

"To tell the psychic, Latin-speaking rapist that I want lottery numbers and advanced warming about my fiancée. There's something in the fucking water around here. I'm getting married in a month and the last thing this world needs, at least right now, is a little me or Alex running around." Munch wandered into the pit as the rest of the room chuckled, and Cragen made a mental note to go home and double the furniture order he had just placed. He said farewell to the people he considered his family, and knew that now he had to push harder to change the rules. He didn't have much time. Elliot would want to be home with his wife and kids for a while, and Captain Stabler couldn't take that much time off. Cragen only hoped his plan would work.

**A/N: What plan, Cragen? What's up with the crazy woman? only W, X, Y and Z left...What could W possibly mean? RevieW and I shall tell you! Love ya, readers!**


	23. It's Wonderful Now

**A/N: Two months after the last chapter! What was Cragen's plan? Did it work?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and related characters. TStabler© owns story, plot, narrative and dialogue. Do not use ANY part of this unless you ask, nicely, please and thank you! =)**

The last three months haven't been great. Twin babies have been wreaking havoc on Olivia's body and emotions, making her a sweet, lovable woman one minute and a raging bitch the next. Her triple-duty as Elliot's partner, wife and inferior officer was putting so much strain on their relationship, that they'd gone to bed angry with each other last night. Something they both promised they would never do. As Captain, he had to be at work earlier than her, so they hadn't made up, yet. Now, they were in the middle of such a perplexing case, disagreeing on every point, that they were just doing more damage, digging themselves deeper into the hole they'd gotten into.

They'd just come out of the interrogation room, after yelling more at each other than the perp. That alone scared him into a confession. Olivia tried to stop the tears, but the little ones in her womb made it impossible. She collapsed into her chair and cried. Hysterically. Elliot knelt down beside her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I can't do this anymore, El. I love being your wife, I love being your partner, but I can't take you being my Captain, too. You're barking orders, you're so angry and overworked all the time. It's wearing you out and it's making you crazy, and you're taking it out on me and I'm such a basket case that I can't handle it. I can't do it, honey," she said, sobbing.

Elliot rubbed her back as he kissed away her tears. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't wanna do this, Liv. Not if it's gonna make me yell at you. Or Fin and Munch, every three seconds. I don't even know what I was yelling about. I will call Cragen and tell him..."

Olivia shook her head and took a deep breath, calming down. "No, I'm sorry. I'm a fucking emotional yo-yo, El." She sniffled. "It's fine, I'll be okay. You need to stay in that office, and do your job. We can do this," she said, nodding. "We have to do this. I'll be back to normal in five months."

Elliot chuckled. "No, you won't, baby. You and I will be home with two newborn babies, for at least three months. So, we'll both be emotional, and exhausted, but I won't be so..."

"Confrontational and self-righteous?" she said, blowing her nose into a tissue.

Elliot laughed. "Yeah, baby," he said, kissing her, passionately, and rubbing a hand over her belly. "You and these babies mean everything to me, Liv. I don't want to lose you."

"Never, El. Nothing will ever get that bad," Olivia promised. "Really, I'm just hormonal. It's making me say and do things I normally wouldn't. I'm fine, baby."

Elliot kissed her again. "Okay, Liv. I have to sign about a thousand DD5's. Wanna come keep me company?" he asked, pulling her up out of her chair.

She nodded and smiled, feeling a bit better, and followed him into his office.

* * *

"That was amazing," Olivia said, panting. She moved her elbow and sent his stapler flying across the room.

Elliot smirked, kissing her. "I'm not done with you, yet, baby." He kissed his way down her neck and back up to her lips, as he began moving in and out of her again. He was a machine tonight, owing to the desperate desire to forget all about the fighting and tension, and the fact that, for the first time in eight years, they didn't make up after a fight.

Olivia moaned, digging her nails into Elliot's back. "God, don't you need a break?"

"Nope," he said, smirking as his lips pressed against her skin. "Do you?"

She shook her head, biting his bottom lip. "I could make love to you forever," she whispered. She felt her next release coming at her like a speeding freight train, no warning, no build-up, it just hit her, and attacked him, too. She clamped around him so suddenly, he saw fireworks behind his eyes and bit her shoulder. She bit him back, and wrapped her legs around him, pulling him tight. They came together, for the third time, and he still moved, perilously slow, bringing them down.

"Sweet Jesus," Elliot muttered, finally rolling off of her to the side, but pulling her close. "I hate fighting with you, but, God, I love make-up sex."

Olivia chuckled. "If you would have been single, or even _more_ amoral than you were, we could have had _eight years_ of hot make-up sex. Think of all the fights we've had."

"Don't do that, baby," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I already regret waiting eight years, don't make it worse. You look amazing pregnant, by the way." He ran his hands over her four-month-bump, and skimmed it over her sides.

"Thank you," she said with a big smile. "I can't fit into anything in my closet, I cry at the drop of a hat, and I want nothing more than to fuck you silly and eat chocolate all day, but I can still turn you on. You're easy." She chuckled and peppered his chest with light kisses. "This desk is surprisingly comfortable."

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, it is," he agreed, kissing her, deeply. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too, Captain," she said with a wink. She got up, pushed herself off the desk and started putting on her clothes. "We have four kids at home who are probably wondering where their parents are. We're a bit...late."

Elliot looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh, shit!" He jumped off the desk and dressed, quickly, and as they opened the door, shut off the light and stepped out into the squadroom, a familiar voice barked in their direction.

"Stabler, get your shit out of my office, take your wife home and be here, six AM, ready to learn how to run an internal investigation and handle a rape case at the same time," Cragen boomed, barreling into the bullpen with a solid smirk, carrying a box.

"What?" Olivia said, shocked.

"It took longer than expected, but I managed to, not only change department policy on fraternization, but convinced them that if _anyone_ could handle internal affairs, with an acerbic attitude, it was you, Elliot. I also convinced them to let you do it from here, at SVU, so you can stay with Olivia and continue to be a _real_ detective." He looked at Olivia and smirked again. "Still think they're all a bunch of self-serving bastards?"

Olivia simpered, then looked at Elliot who was stunned, staring at Cragen. He looked at Olivia, looked at the office door and choked out a laugh, then chuckled, then broke out into hysterics as he held onto his wife. "Don, I don't know what to say," Elliot said, rubbing soothing circles on Olivia's back. "I was just getting into the swing of this whole captain thing." Not to mention, they had just christened his office.

"A good, solid, 'Thanks, Captain,' would do just fine," Cragen said, smiling at the couple. "Go on, get out of here. Take the night off and relax."

"You don't need to tell me twice," Elliot said, clutching Olivia's hand tightly. "Thanks, Captain." He winked and smiled as he and his wife left the bullpen.

* * *

"Okay," Olivia said, walking into the living room. "A homework crisis was successfully averted, and Katie has claimed every shirt that no longer fits me. She seems to think I will never get my pre-baby body back," she said with a scoff. "They're all fed, washed and sound asleep. Typical day in the Stabler house."

Elliot laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "So, how about Cragen, huh? Talk about your Deus ex Machina," he quipped. Cragen truly was their God by machine tonight, coming in when they needed him the most, to save the day.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, but now I'm not married to my captain, I'm married to fucking IAB. I hate you, you son of a bitch," she said, unconvincingly, as she attacked his mouth as soon as the words left her lips. "You're kind of the king of the world, now, El."

"Wait, you mean I wasn't before?" he asked, teasing, kissing her again.

"Well, king of the world you've created in your mind, maybe. Out here, no." She bit his bottom lip, playfully, and kissed him again.

He slapped her, hard, on the ass, and deepened the kiss, and with his mouth full of Olivia he mumbled, "You're being fresh."

She chuckled. "Just putting you in your place, El." She nuzzled his nose and neck lovingly, then asked, "Hey, what do you think Tucker's doing now?"

"I don't really give a shit, Liv. But, I do know that when he finds out _I_ have his job, he's not gonna happy, wherever he is." Elliot got off the couch and pulled Olivia up, into his arms, kissing her again. "Come on, baby. That dream bed of yours is gonna get a lot of use tonight." He smirked, thinking how wonderful his life really was, and somewhere, there was an ex-cop with a grudge, thinking about how wonderful his revenge was gonna be.

**A/N: I am so tempted to make the very last chapter of this so twisted, thinking back to what happened in the first 2 chapters, but I don't want any angry reviews. lol. Only X-Y-Z left! What does X mean???**


	24. She's Xerophthalmic Now

**A/N: xerophthalmic: of or pertaining to abnormal dryness of the eyeball caused by a deficiency of tears. Referring to the inability or refusal to cry. (OH and PS:** **It was reported Friday, February 5, 2010 that actor Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler) will be leaving the cast of the show after the 12th season. Saturday, February 6, 2010 Neal Baer said to Access Hollywood that Meloni will not be leaving SVU after season 12, it was a hoax started by the Australian Courier-Mail in which the article was deleted the next day. Hope this clears some things up for you all.) **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Cragen came out of the captain's office and barreled into the center of the squadroom."Okay, so we've got..."

"Woah, Cragen? Where's Captain Stabler?" Fin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cragen smirked. "At the doctor's office, with his wife, and when he gets back, you can just call him Stabler. Or Sergeant. We kind of traded places," Cragen said, walking over to the white-board.

"What?" Munch said, peering over his sunglasses. "Stabler is the head of IAB? So, that means, they're handing out popsicles in hell, worms have ears, and pigs have sprouted wings and flown over Jersey, too, right?"

"Very funny," Cragen spat. "Sonya is coming by later with his new badge, and I need you all to be nice to her, okay? She's a bitch and we hate her, but she's still part of this unit and we should respect her."

"If she wasn't just like Olivia's mother, we wouldn't have a problem with her," Fin said, sourly.

Munch hummed. "Olivia would be able to be in the same room with her without yelling and being reminded of her horrible childhood, too."

Cragen grunted his agreement. "Get to work, Munch. We've got a map and three vics, now let's find out where our perp is hiding out."

* * *

"Okay, first I wanted to apologize, again, for calling you in for this, but I wanted to see if we can see both of these little ones, correctly, on the screen. How are you feeling, Mrs. Stabler?" the doctor asked, squirting gel on her belly.

Olivia squeezed Elliot's hand and said, "Fine, except for the two monsters rolling around over my bladder."

"Monsters? Very maternal, Liv," Elliot quipped, kissing her forehead.

The doctor laughed and turned on the monitor. "Now, you're at almost five months, and with twins it might be hard to see...oh, wow. This is unusual."

"El, look," Olivia said, feeling the burn at her nose, but holding in the tears.

"I see 'em, baby. They're beautiful," Elliot said, caressing her hand and kissing the top of her head. "My God, they're beautiful."

The monitor's image was as clear as a bell. Two little heartbeats were beating, side-by-side, and two tiny faces, with indistinguishable features, were turned toward each other.

Elliot, too, needed to cry, but he simply couldn't. He sat in silent awe, holding his wife and kissing her whenever he could, watching the two little miracles sleep soundly in Olivia's womb.

They walked into the bullpen cheerful and beaming with parental pride. Olivia had printed sonogram images for everyone and Elliot said, very loudly, "A boy and a girl, I guess I'm good at that." But, they looked around and were met with grim faces.

"Okay," Olivia said, suddenly worried. "What happened?"

Munch still had the phone in his hand, turning it around and around, he sniffed once and plopped it back on the cradle.

"Guys," Elliot said. "What's going on?"

Cragen rubbed his eyes, squeezed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Sonya Paxton was killed coming out of her office."

"She was on her way over here to give you your new badge and file the rest of the paperwork," Fin said, looking at Elliot. "Whoever killed her took them. We got Morales checking security tapes and, since she wasn't sexually assaulted, it's a Vice case, but they think it was either a cop or a lawyer, so it's fallin' on you, too, Stabler."

Munch looked up at Olivia. She had dry eyes, but they were red, and she was starting to shake. "Olivia, I know that you and Sonya..."

"Don't. Just don't," she said, holding up a hand. "What do we have on this?" She pointed to the white board and went back to work, refusing to deal with the death of the A.D.A that reminded her so much of her mother it was scary. This felt like losing _her _all over again. She rubbed a hand over her belly as she picked up the black marker and distracted herself by figuring out the white-board's location puzzle.

Two hours later, Olivia was making phone calls to the surviving victims and going over statements. Munch and Fin were running back and forth from the filing room to the fax machine and calling the DMV, trying to get a hit on the suspect's car. Elliot was too worried about Olivia to do much of anything.

Alex came in, red-eyed, and handed Elliot a thick envelope. "We had to reprint them," she whispered. Elliot took out the paperwork, which, when signed, would make him the official IAB Chief. He then pulled out his new badge, wondering how the hell he was supposed to wear two of them at once.

Alex walked over to Munch's desk and he rose, immediately wrapping her in his arms.

Olivia heard Alex's muffled sobs, and squeezed her own eyes shut, refusing to cry. She hung up the phone and looked up at Elliot.

He smiled warmly at her and mouthed, "I love you."

She didn't mouth it back. She said it. "I love you too, El." She was about to make another phone call as she head a scuffle and yelling through the hallway.

Two men from Vice brought Ed Tucker into the bullpen in cuffs. "We were bringin' him up to Vice and he told us he wanted to come in here. Said he wanted Sergeant Stabler to do this himself," One of the uniformed men said.

Elliot got up and turned around. "Tucker? What are you bringing him in for?"

"He's our prime suspect in the Paxton case. Found this in his pocket," the second man said, tossing what would have been Elliot's badge to him, sealed in a bag. "The papers and forms that were taken were found in his car, and the clerk at the courthouse remembers seeing him walk up the stairs calmly then run down them twenty minutes later."

"Sounds open and shut to me, all I need to do is sign the..." he paused as a horrid realization struck him. "You son of a bitch. Oh, my God. I know why you wanted to talk to me you asshole. You did this, you killed Sonya to get back at...get him in the interrogation room!" Elliot yelled.

The two men from vice pushed Tucker through the doors, as he laughed maniacally. Elliot followed them and Cragen followed him.

Munch and Fin were shocked.

Alex was stunned as she finally let go of Munch, and she turned to face Olivia. She walked over to the desk and smiled slightly. "Hey, Olive Oil, how are ya?" she asked, rubbing her friend's shoulder.

"I'm fine," she said. "Oh, hey, here. This is for you and Munch." She handed Alex one of the sonograms and watched Alex's face change from concern and shock to utter joy.

"Oh, God, they're precious!" Alex exclaimed, smiling. "Are they both boys?"

"A boy and a girl," Olivia said. "We were talking about it, and we'd like to name one of them Alex. Alexander or Alexandra."

Alex looked up at Olivia and felt the tears roll down her cheeks. "Really? That's...wow...why?"

"You're important to us, Al. And yeah, you kind of hated Elliot for a minute, there, but you had so much to do with us getting together and you helped him plan the most amazing wedding, you and Casey have been, aside from Elliot, the only real friends I've ever had and this is my way of thanking you. One of these little ones is gonna be Alex C. Stabler," Olivia said, finally feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

"Olivia, that's so awesome," Alex said, throwing her arms around Olivia.

They were snapped out of their precious moment when they heard three gunshots and a loud crash, glass shattering and lots of yelling. They heard Cragen yell, "Get a bus! Now!"

Olivia shot up and ran into the interrogation room, panicked. "Elliot," she yelled.

Munch called for a bus and Fin ran into the pit.

Tucker had been thrown through the glass, and Elliot was crumpled in the corner of the interrogation room, bleeding. Olivia ran over to him and that's when the tears she'd been holding in fell freely. "El, baby, come on, look at me," she said, turning his head toward her.

His eyes blinked open and he looked at her. "Fine," he mumbled. "I'm fine, baby. He got my shoulder and my leg, but, I'm okay."

"Oh, thank God," Olivia cried as she kissed him. She took off her jacket, ripped the sleeves off and wrapped one of the strips of fabric around the wound on Elliot's leg. She used the rest of the jacket to cover her hands as she applied pressure to his shoulder wound. "What happened?"

"Tucker," Elliot said, seething in pain as Olivia tried to control the bleeding. "Wanted to stop me from getting the IAB shield and thought that with the IAB Attorney out of the way, they'd hold off on giving me the job for a while. He was trying to find a way to get even, personally, but thought he could do it professionally instead. He didn't think he'd get caught, and he, shit, baby, this really fucking hurts," he said, trying to stand up. "He knew that Sonya's death would affect you, too. He was pissed because he thinks we got him fired."

Olivia looked at Elliot and shook her head. "You threw him through the mirror," she said with a scoff.

"Yeah, I did," Elliot said, chuckling. He pulled her into a magnificent kiss as they heard the EMT's rushing in. She cried and held his hand as they put him on a stretcher. She walked with them, never letting go of his hand, and her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her.

"What, baby?" Elliot asked, seeing the look on her face.

They got Elliot into the elevator. She leaned over his stretcher and kissed him, fervently, caressing his face. When she pulled away she asked, "How did he get a gun in here, El?"

"That's a really good question, baby," Elliot said, furrowing his brow.

When they got to the ground floor and sped Elliot toward the waiting ambulance, Olivia called Cragen, asking him the same question, knowing it would take all night, possibly longer, to get an answer. For Olivia and Elliot, it would be a night spent in the hospital, waiting for it.

**A/N: The curtain is closing on this saga, only two more chapters to go. And this one is leading into a pretty big twist, which I hope won't cause too much fiery wrath. =D I promise, it's got a HAPPY ENDING. What's in store for Y and Z??? Reviews!! And also...what could this twist be? **


	25. In Your Dreams Now

**A/N: A BIG twist in this chapter might upset some of you, but this was planned from the beginning, so please do not hurt me. Things will be all right in the end, just keep reading! =) **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

The hospital waiting room wasn't crowded. Odd, since it was usually bustling. As she paced back and forth, waiting to hear from a doctor, Olivia's mind was suddenly racing with questions. How the hell had everything worked in their favor? How the hell had policies bent and changed so easily for them? How the hell was everything so easy? How the hell did Elliot remember the exact kind of bed and bedding she'd always dreamed of, when she'd only mentioned it once? How the hell did the doctor miss the fact that she was pregnant with twins the first time? How the hell did Tucker get a gun into the interrogation room? She ran a hand through her hair and sighed as she leaned up against the wall.

Why was her brain suddenly trying to piece together a non-existent puzzle? She always thought, or _over-_thought, when she was scared or nervous.

She grew tired of waiting for news on Elliot's condition and she really didn't give a shit about what shape Tucker was in, so she sat. She curled up on a chair, next to Cragen, and yawned. "You know anything?"

"Why don't you take a nap, Liv. Someone will wake you up when it's time," Cragen said.

As she nodded and closed her eyes. She thought, vaguely, that Cragen never, _ever_, called her "Liv" before, and what exactly did he mean by, "when it's time?" She counted to ten and then her world went completely dark.

* * *

"Liv," a familiar, yet foggy, voice called to her. She felt someone shaking her, but she couldn't will her eyes to open. "Liv, baby, come on. It's time. It's time to wake up."

She heard Munch's voice, too. "Blinking! She's blinking," he cried.

Olivia opened her eyes, slowly, and winced at the brightness of the lights. "Shit," she muttered.

"It's okay, Detective Benson," a female nurse said. "You've been out for a long time, you need to open your eyes."

Olivia did, and she focused her eyes on Elliot. He was looming over her, with a horrible five o'clock shadow, bags under his eyes and clothes that he'd been wearing for days. "You look like shit," she said. "You get shot a few times and this is what happens?"

"Me?" he asked incredulously. "Liv, baby, you're the one...wait, baby, do you know where you are?"

"The hospital. Tucker shot you, you threw him through the window," she said. "Wait, why am I lying down? Why aren't you?"

Munch looked at her. "Uh, Benson, you're the one in the hospital. You got shot. I couldn't...I didn't..." he stopped. "I don't know what to say."

"Benson? What the hell are you talking about? I got shot? What about the babies? El, where are the kids?" Panic rose in her eyes.

Elliot squeezed her hand. "Liv, the kids are at home with Kathy. What babies?"

Olivia shot up into a sitting position. "Kathy? They let her out of jail? You left our kids alone with that bitch..."

"Woah, slow down!" Elliot said, stroking her hair. "Kathy was never _in_ jail, Liv. What are you talking about? _Our_ kids?"

Olivia looked up, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Oh, my God. What day is it?"

"Friday," Elliot said.

"And the date?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

Elliot brushed her hair back again. "March second," he said. "You've been asleep for two days."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "What's the last thing that happened, really happened, when I was awake?"

"I told you that I love you, you said it back, we went to sleep, and you didn't wake up. The dumbass surgeon used a tainted scalpel and your shoulder got infected. The infection spread and you needed a transfusion. It's a good thing we're the same blood type, and that I never left your side," Elliot said.

"So, none of it was real? We're not married. There was no Vegas, no twins, Cassidy and Sonya and Donnelly and Trevor, they're all fine, right? I still live in my shitty apartment and you probably don't remember me saying anything about me wanting a cherry canopy bed, and you're okay, no one shot you, and you're not the IAB Chief, your just good old Detective Stabler, and you're not even fucking divorced. You haven't even told Kathy about anything..."

"Liv!" Elliot cried, worried. He soothed her, running a hand down her back, "Baby, shh. You were just dreaming. It sounds like a very good, very interesting dream, too. I remember the bed, Liv. And I told Kathy. The papers have been filed. She, uh, she's pregnant."

Olivia's eye widened, then narrowed. "It's not yours," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow.

Elliot furrowed his brow. "How could you have possibly known that?"

"You had the conversation here, didn't you?" she asked.

Elliot nodded. "Kathy came by, trying to make a last ditch effort to get me to go home, but I told her that, aside from sawing my hands off, there was no way I was letting go of you. Then she told me about Craig and the baby, and..."

"And since she had the affair first, it's her fault. Then she said she doesn't want the kids," Olivia said, finally starting to make sense of her dream. She'd been half conscious, listening to various conversations and they filtered into her dreams and wound themselves into the life she'd created for herself. She decided, then, that this dream was her mind's way of telling her what her heart really wanted, since she'd been running from it for so long. Her running stopped now. She really liked that dream-life, and she was gonna do everything she could to make that dream come true. "El, I love you. More than anything, and I love your kids, even if they hate me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Liv, three days ago you refused to even say that you loved me," Elliot said, laughing. "How many drugs are you on?"

Olivia shook her head. "Elliot, listen to me, very carefully. I'm in love with you. I heard you tell everyone about us, I heard you yell at Alex because she thought you'd break my heart. I heard you tell off Tucker, though in my mind it was me. I heard you tell me you love me over and over again, I heard you ask me to..." she paused as she gasped. "El, you asked me to marry you?"

"Yeah," Elliot said, with a sigh. He nodded and moved from his chair to the bed, wrapping an arm around her. "I talked to you a lot, baby, since I wasn't sleeping. I told you lots of stories about what I would love to do with you when you got of here. I didn't think it was possible to have unconscious orgasms, but you were definitely feeing good when I was talking about our sex-life," he laughed. "You made the most amazing little noises. I told you all about how I'd love for you to move in with me and the kids, and I even came up with this wild idea to go to Vegas and..."

"Yes," Olivia interrupted. "Whenever you want to go, El, let's go."

Elliot smiled, like he hadn't smiled in days, because he hadn't, and he was about to say something when the door swung open. Elliot's kids and Cragen walked in, smiling when they saw her sitting up and talking, and smiling.

"Liv!" Maureen yelled. "You're awake!"

"Hi sweetie," Olivia said.

Dickie ran to her and gave her a gentle hug. "We were all so worried about you."

"We're not mad," Kathleen said, softly. "It'll take some getting used to, but, we all love you, Liv. And when you were sleeping...I thought that...I mean..." she stopped, sniffled, and wiped the falling tears.

"Oh, Katie, come here," Olivia said. She pulled the girl into a hug and looked at Elliot. He was tearing up.

Lizzie looked at Olivia, almost crying, too. "Liv, when we were here last night, we all told you how we felt about you and Dad, and I don't know if you heard us, so if you didn't..."

"I heard everything you guys said. And I love you guys, too," Olivia said, still holding on to a crying Kathleen. "I'm okay, Katie. I'm right here, honey."

Kathleen nodded. "I know, I just...when Daddy first told us I was so mad at you, and then he told us you were shot and I thought that if you died, I'd lose that only real mother I ever had."

"Wait," Olivia said. "When, exactly, did your father tell you guys about us?"

Dickie bit his lip. "We've known for a while. He told us, he let us get angry, he let us hate him, and he let us get used to it. He was gonna wait until we were comfortable with it to leave...but then he found out about Craig and it kinda let him off the hook."

"Now that's something you didn't tell me, Stabler," Olivia said, smirking at Elliot.

Elliot sighed. "Well, I knew you'd be irritated. Hey, Munch, can you go get a doctor so we can find out when we can take my fiancée home?"

"It's the least I can do, since I got her shot," Munch said, walking out with a smile.

"I told you this wasn't your fault," Olivia shouted after him.

Cragen looked down at Elliot and folded his arms. "Fiancée?"

Elliot laughed. "Yeah, apparently she heard me ask her and she said yes. Is that gonna be a problem?"

"After the reaming out you gave Tucker, Elliot, he's afraid to come near the Special Victim's Unit. I don't think IAB gives a shit what you two do, as long as you do your job," Cragen said, smiling.

* * *

"Okay, Liv, welcome home," Maureen yelled as she swung the door open.

Olivia's eyes teared up. She spent the last two days packing up her apartment, sleeping in her old bed, readjusting to life as a single woman. Walking into Elliot's house, knowing she was wanted and welcome, made it feel like her dream was coming true. Sure, the kids didn't call her "Mom," and she wasn't carrying Elliot's children, yet, but those things would come, in time. At least, she hoped.

In a way, she was relieved most of it had all been a dream. She had imagined so much tragedy and ungodly revenge schemes on Kathy's behalf. She chalked that up to years of jealousy. She was also thrilled that Cassidy wasn't a rapist, and Sonya was alive, and a very large part of her took great comfort in the fact that Elliot was never, and would never, be the captain or the chief of IAB.

"Hey," Elliot said, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "I have a surprise for you."

"Another one? You leasing my apartment while I was in the hospital was a big enough surprise," she said, laughing.

"Come on," Elliot said, pulling her up the stairs. He held his hands over her eyes as he pushed the door to the bedroom open, and he said, "Surprise," as he lowered his hands.

"Oh, my God!" she cried.

"I know it's not cherry, but the rest of the furniture's oak, so I got oak. And I couldn't find the pink and brown lace and velvet bedspread you wanted, but it's a canopy and..."

Olivia turned and kissed him, passionately. "It's perfect."

Elliot held her tightly and stroked back her hair, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I had to let you know, Liv. You're mine now."

"Not just now, El," Olivia said, kissing him deeply. "Forever."

**A/N: Don't kill me, there's only one chapter left! Z!! What could an epilogue hold, with the letter Z??**


	26. It's Zoetic Now

**A/N: Zoetic: essential; vital; living; of or pertaining to life. Life begins now. (Thank you to all of the readers and reviewers who've brought me this far! 26 chapters and we've gone from A-Z. Sad to see it end, but everything must, right?)**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

"Hey, Benson," Much said as Olivia strolled into the squadroom. "How's the arm?"

Olivia chuckled, remembering this scene from her dream. This time, though, there was no Hello Kitty band-aid, and there was no care-package. Instead, there were seven stitches and a dull ache. "It's fine, Munch. I got shot, ya know? It doesn't tickle, but it doesn't hurt either."

Fin looked up at her and smiled. "You should be able to stay awake for days, now, right? All that sleep you got, I don't wanna hear you complainin' about needin' a nap anytime soon, Baby-Girl."

Munch furrowed his brow. "Hey, I've been wondering, are you and Stabler really serious? How serious?"

"I don't, uh, I don't know, actually. It's complicated," Olivia said, grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting at her desk.

"Affairs always are," Fin said. "What possessed you to..."

"It wasn't an affair," Elliot said, walking into the bullpen. "And love possessed us. To answer your second question. You think I wanted to treat her like that? You think I wanted to fall in love with her, but keep her at arm's length for six months while I tried to get out of my marriage? You think I wanted my wife to run off with the dentist and then..."

Olivia stopped him. "Elliot! Stop, he didn't mean anything by it."

"The hell he didn't, Liv. He's been bugging me about it since I told him. He's pissed off at me," Elliot said with a sigh. "Everyone is. Everyone except Kathy, because that would be the pot calling the kettle black, and the kids, because they knew months ago."

"Well, they're all gonna have to be pissed off at me, too, El. It takes two to tango, and I was dancing like Valentino. You didn't do this alone," she said, smirking. "And like you said, it wasn't an affair. So, there's no reason to be angry."

Cragen stepped out of his office and handed out pink slips. "Benson, I don't know what to do with you," he said. "I shouldn't send you out there with Stabler but if you go out there with Munch you'll get shot again, and Fin would piss you off."

Olivia took the slip and asked, "Should I even be going..."

"Yeah, this is important, you need to be there," Cragen said. "Go with Elliot, but do your job. The job comes first!"

"Yeah," Olivia said with a nod. "I know. We both do."

Cragen nodded and walked away, sending a warning, yet approving, look at Elliot.

"Let's go," Elliot said, leading her out of the bullpen.

They pulled up to the location at the same moment Fin and Munch did and Olivia furrowed her brow. "Cragen sent all four of us to the same place?"

"Apparently," Elliot muttered, getting out of the car.

They walked into the building and flashed their badges, and the receptionist told them to head into the ballroom.

"Our crime scene is a ballroom? Who sexually assaults someone in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded hotel ballroom?" Munch asked, smirking.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "We've seen weirder, Munch."

"Not this weird," Elliot said, pushing the door open. "We've never seen anything like this."

Olivia gasped. All of their friends, and the kids, were standing under a large banner that said, "Will You Marry Me?"

"I know it's not Vegas, and it's not a surprise wedding," Elliot said. "But it took a hell of a lot of planning."

Olivia turned to look at him and he held out a black box to her. He lifted the lid and she almost died. The ring was more beautiful than anything she could have ever dreamed of, and the look on his face sent shivers up and down her spine. She looked back at the crowd of people who were there.

Alex, who was concerned and afraid that Elliot would crush her, was now smiling with tears in her eyes. Cragen, who had to grapple with whether or not trust them enough to separate their personal life from their professional one, looked so proud. Casey, who had suspected this for so long and didn't bat an eyelash when Olivia lied to her face, was clutched onto Fin. Fin and Munch, who were like her brothers, who were confused, yet somehow relieved that she and Elliot had finally come clean, nodded at her.

And then her heart dropped into her stomach.

Trevor, sad but smiling, tilted his head in awe. He had wanted her for so long and he was now a part of the moment that would mean he lost her forever. Kathy and Craig, holding hands, were standing off to the side. Kathy looked conflicted. There was a deep regret in her eyes, as if she had finally realized what she threw away, how much she hurt him, and how she had driven him straight into Olivia's arms. There was also a small smile on her face. A solemn one, telling Olivia to say "yes" and be with Elliot the way she wanted to be with him. Olivia looked at the four beaming faces of the kids. Their eyes were wide and they were all smiling, except Kathleen who was only moderately grinning. She was so lost in reading the other people that she didn't realize her own face was expressing a multitude of emotions, and tears were silently running down her cheeks.

"Liv," Elliot said. "Will you marry me?"

His voice pulled her face toward his. She met his adoring gaze and she let out a small laugh. "Right now?"

Elliot laughed. "Well Judge Donnelly's here, but my divorce isn't finalized yet, so it wouldn't exactly be legal."

"Can't blame me for trying," she said. She cupped his face and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Yes, El. I would love to marry you."

Elliot let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, into a searing kiss. The people watching clapped and his kids ran over and joined the hug.

Kathleen stayed behind.

Elliot looked at her, sadly, but Olivia kissed him and said, "She isn't upset, El. She just isn't ready."

"And you are?" he asked, nuzzling her nose.

Olivia nodded. "Definitely."

* * *

"Stabler," Cragen yelled.

Two heads popped up and the captain chuckled. "The one who is most likely in trouble."

Olivia smirked and went back to her paperwork as Elliot got up and walked toward the captain's office. "What?" he asked, with a sigh, as he folded his arms.

"How long have you two been married?" Cragen asked.

Elliot furrowed his brow and tilted his head. "Three months, Cap. You were in the wedding!"

"And, how long did you honestly think I would keep you two together after you got married?" Cragen asked.

Elliot's eyes widened. "What? Cap, don't do this! Please, just tell me what I did, and I will never do it again!"

"You'll do it again, Stabler, I know you! You've got five months, Elliot. Then she's out. You did this. It's all your fault." Cragen handed him a brown envelope and shook his head. "I hope you're very proud of yourself."

"But, I...wh-what..." Elliot stuttered. Olivia got out of her seat and stood behind him. He opened the envelope and pulled out the contents, his eyes filling with tears. "She has to leave in five months, all because of this?" He ran his finger over the sonogram and smiled.

"Yeah," Cragen said with a smile. "There's no way she's going to be able to chase perps and protect your ass when she's eight months pregnant."

Elliot turned around and Olivia, tears in her own eyes, stood before him waiting for his reaction. He stepped forward and as a tear rolled down his cheek he rubbed a hand over her belly. "We're...you and I...baby?"

Olivia nodded, smiling and crying. "We're having a baby."

"We're having a baby!" he yelled, picking her up and spinning her around. "When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I found out yesterday, and I just told you. I couldn't tell you yesterday, El. At work, we we're busy, and it was Maureen's birthday, and I wanted to make it special. Tell you..."

He had kissed her, shutting her up.

Alex walked in, her hand over her own baby-bump and smirked. "Are they allowed to do that at work?"

"They're takin' a break," Fin said.

"Olivia just told Elliot he's gonna be a daddy. Well, again," Munch said, kissing his pregnant girlfriend. "So, they got married and then made a baby. What do you say we work backwards?"

Alex's eyes widened. "Are you...did you just..."

Munch pulled out a ring, and nodded. "I am. I did."

"John, I don't...yes," Alex whispered. She nodded and threw her arms around him.

Fin smiled and looked back at Cragen. "You don't see anything wrong with having two couples kissin' in the middle of the Special Victim's Unit?"

Cragen shook his head and smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about Fin. I don't see anything." He walked back into his office and closed the door.

Elliot pulled away from Olivia and nuzzled her nose, then settled his head in the crook of her neck lightly sobbing.

Olivia scratched lightly at the nape of his neck. "El, baby, are you...is everything okay?"

Elliot lifted his head and looked into her eyes. He saw a full nine years of love and devotion, and one year of passion and fire. He saw every hope, fear, dream and thought he had ever had dance across her eyes. He saw every memory that ever mattered to him, and he saw the brief scare, three days, six months ago, when he thought it was all being ripped away. He brushed his hand along her knuckles and felt the two rings on her left ring-finger that proved that what they had was so much more than a normal relationship. She was his entire life. And they had created a new life, a new life made from love and loyalty, honor and devotion and the deepest friendship in existence. "Yeah, Liv," he said, finally answering her. "Now it is."

**A/N: Thank you for reading! It's been one hell of a ride! **


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